We’ve had our first taste of autumn now with some sweater weather and some rain, pumpkin spice everything is out in full force and the leaves are starting to change colour. Time to talk Christmas! Amirite? Costco’s doing it, and you know who else is talking Christmas, besides the big guy in red? The hundreds of volunteers, riders and coordinators of the Vancouver Motorcycle Christmas Toy Run, now in it’s 39th year, and everyone at the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau.
Some of us have already started our Christmas shopping, knowing how much work actually goes into the holiday for our families. Now imagine how much work goes into trying to bring Christmas to as many families as possible who might not otherwise have a very merry one, all throughout the Lower Mainland. That’s a massive task! It’s important to start early and get a jump on things and the annual Vancouver Motorcycle Christmas Toy Run has been pitching in for nearly four decades.
Organizing the Toy Run itself is a huge task and involves cooperation and volunteers from several communities along the route to allow for manned road barricades, and other logistics for one of Canada’s largest toy runs. And of course, they need riders, and they come in droves from all over the Lower Mainland for this event, bearing gifts of all kinds.
It all starts at 9:30am on Sunday October 1, 2017 at Coquitlam Centre and participants will be riding to the PNE grounds in Vancouver, and then meeting up at Trev Deeley’s for the annual Afterburner Party.
If you have a motorcycle and want to join in, it couldn’t be easier…show up with a donation and ride! Want to watch the run? Riders will pass through Coquitlam and Port Moody on Barnet Highway, down through Burnaby on Hastings Street and into Vancouver finally ending at the PNE Fairgrounds. Grab a spot on a main road and be ready to wave and cheer on many of the (dress-ed up!) riders.
If you don’t have a motorcycle, you can still show support by bringing your own donation of a new and unwrapped toys, cash or gift card to the starting or end point of the run. Every item is appreciated and donated directly to those most in need this holiday season. With Christmas nipping at our toes, join us in helping make someone’s holiday just a bit brighter.
