Motorcyclists for Kids Toy Ride Celebrates 30 Years of Giving Back
ZANESVILLE, Ohio — Hundreds of motorcyclists gathered at the Zanesville Walmart to celebrate the 30th annual Motorcyclists for Kids Toy Ride, bringing the community together to collect toys, bicycles and monetary donations for local children ahead of Christmas.
Over the course of three hours, riders and community members collected toys and bicycles before heading out to deliver the donations to the Salvation Army on Putnam Avenue.
For Michael McGuire, pastor at Rushing Wind Biker Church, the milestone event was a reminder of just how much the community’s support has grown over the years.
“Well, it was 30 years ago that we had our first Motorcycles for Kids ride. Snowed in, six bikes showed up. So it’s really nice to see the hundreds of motorcycles today and the community that has come together and donated and made this a wonderful outreach for this community. Present to them nice gifts for Christmas this year,” McGuire said.
This year’s ride brought in impressive results, raising more than $5,000, along with 53 bicycles and seven pallets of toys.
The donations will help ensure more children in the Zanesville area have gifts waiting under the tree this Christmas.
McGuire said the event is especially important because of the number of underprivileged children in the community who could benefit from the generosity.
“We know in this community that it’s important that we do our best to reach out to the underprivileged children, and there are a lot of them in this area. So when the motorcycle community comes together, as they have today, they’ve brought toys and they’ve made monetary donations. Businesses have stepped up. It’s been an absolutely fantastic day at Walmart North to be able to bless our local children,” McGuire said.
After three decades of bringing riders and residents together for a good cause, the Motorcyclists for Kids Toy Ride continues to make a difference for local families.
And with another successful year in the books, the community can look forward to the ride returning next year.
