For weeks, there have been toy drop bins and giving trees throughout Lebanon to collect for The River Center’s Christmas Toy Program, but the flashiest contribution rode through town on Sunday, Dec. 10.
Ray Jackman, of the Road Maggots motorcycle group, said 182 motorcyclists participated in the 10th annual Road Maggot Toy Run, along with classic car groups.
The group started their morning at Walgreens. The company brought in truckloads of items for all ages of children up to teenagers that had special pricing just for this event, Jackman said.
They headed to the River Center at noon to unload the toys and enjoy a chili feed.
Jackman said he is thankful for the River Center’s event and the network they have to distribute the toys to children.
One thing he would like to see next year is for the public to enjoy the parade portion of the toy run. He’d like to see people lining the streets, he said.
While people didn’t line the streets this year, they were waiting for the Road Maggots when they arrived at the River Center. Together they enjoyed the chili feed and snuck in some last-minute requests for Santa.
Becky Lang, who coordinates the Christmas toy program, was working with volunteers behind the scenes on Sunday, setting up the gifts by age. The shop was open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for people residing in the Lebanon school district.
Last year, 611 people participated in the program, Lang said.
She appreciates the many people that contribute but said she doesn’t always get to thank them.
“Sometimes there’s a sneaky group that doesn’t let me know they dropped something off,” Lang said.