Mid-Cal Cycle Toy Run
30NOV13

Saturday, November 30th was just such a beautiful sunny day! The cool morning turned into T-shirt weather in the 70's. But lets back up a month or so. Mid-Cal Cycle of West Sacramento services various makes of motorcycles, especially Harleys, and services the motorcycles of various the police departments, including the West Sacramento Police Department, and, in so doing so, there is conversation with the motor officers, and, the idea of a ride to celebrate collecting unwrapped toys, non-perishable food, and, donations to benefit the West Sacramento Police Food and Toy Drive emerged. Some of the stuffed animals and toys are for distress situations and are carried in the trunks of their patrol cars for when they show up at a residence and find kids without sitting on the curb. In the following four fast weeks that followed, friends and supporters put up flyers in local businesses and distributed Christmas paper wrapped boxes at various collection locations.

Riders began arriving at 9AM to Mid-Cal Cycle bringing more toys and food and and were greeted by a sign-in table and found event t-shirts printed by Anthony of screenprintersink.net for sale (profit benefiting the food and toy drive), found donuts {ummmmm yum] and Starbuck's coffee [donated by Starbucks - allllright!], and live coverage by CW31's Good Day Sacramento's news crew.

65 bikes, 4 cars and 105 supporters left the shop at 10AM led by Santa and rode through intersections blocked by the West Sacramento Police to visit some of the local businesses that supported the event; the first run stop was The Goose Club on Jefferson where more news coverage occurred with children telling Santa what they want for Christmas. Toys and food collected there were loaded into a truck and the group rode out the river road to the Elkhorn Saloon and Country Bar and Grill for more visiting and loading the truck. The next stop was The Mecca Club on Sunset Avenue, then to Vince's Italian Ristorante on Harbor and back to the shop to unload the truck.

The following Thursday, the pickups from local collection locations completed, the collected cash (over $2500.00!!!), food and toys was delivered to the West Sacramento Police Department. The Mid-Cal Cycle Toy Run was organized in just four FAST weeks and the effort produced impressive local support! So great was the support that I expect to see this become an annual event; great ride, great cause - put it on your calendar for next year - do it now... suspect it will be the first Saturday after Thanksgiving day.

KNUCKLEHEADS FOREVER!

article by Russell "Raz" Holder, photographs by Russell "Raz" Holder