Aurora, CO — On Sunday, December 3rd an estimated 5,000 bikers in the Denver and surrounding areas, rose to a beautiful sunrise and great riding weather. For days riders have been shopping and decorating their bikes and getting ready for Sunday’s Children Hospital Toy Run.
The Toy run is an annual event that is celebrating its 32nd year and a day Colorado riders give to children in need and their families.
As I drove looking at this beautiful sunrise and listening to Christmas music, I was overwhelmed with emotions thinking how truly blessed I am to have healthy children. My five grandchildren are all beautiful and with no illnesses other than the normal cuts and scrapes. The compassion and purpose of this day seemed so important and would touch so many families here at Children’s Hospital whose daily life is turned upside down due to an illness of a child.
It’s About the Kids
Families sacrifice everything and come from near and far to get medical treatment for their infants, toddlers and young children. Over the years, I have met mothers who haven’t yet held their children, and other children being pulled in the Little Red Wagons suffering from medical conditions that I can’t even spell. But all the same, those children share broad smiles as they meet the bikers who have come to say, “You are special.”
In this world of sorrow and despair, the Toy Run creates a day of hope and celebration. We know that that so many families will be uplifted because of the generosity of strangers. These donations to Children’s Hospital allow them to give gifts to kids throughout the entire year!
The Toy Run started 32 years ago at the old Rocky Mountain Harley Davidson location with a few guys saying, “Hey, let’s go take some toys to Children’s Hospital.” Now, the roar of the bikes coming down Colfax from Aurora Sports Park can be heard for hours as the motorcycles roll out in groups.
Thanks to Organizers
Kathy Yevoli, owner of Rocky Mountain Harley Davidson, has been a driving force for this event for 32 years behind the scenes. She and her team organize the permits, acquire insurance, create the promotional materials that all the dealerships use and is the continued visionary and organizer of this event with Children’s Hospital.
The amount of work and planning that goes into a ride of this magnitude is nothing short of amazing. The Aurora Police Department, Aurora Fire Department, and volunteer staff from Rocky Mountain HOG, BikerDown and other resources meet early in the fall to begin planning. As a volunteer with BikerDown which helps with this event, I am fortunate to see, first-hand, the work that goes into this massive function.
It is now Wednesday, and most us are preparing for the holidays with our families. People will begin packing to go out of town, and hustle and bustle of Christmas begins. Just remember as you stand in those long lines and rub elbows with relatives you love, and maybe some you don’t, families with sick kids at Children’s Hospital would do anything to be in your shoes. They will spend their Christmas holidays decorating a hospital room trying to make the best of a terrible situation.
Many of us have so much to be grateful for, and for this rider, the Toy Run brings me back down to earth. It shows me that my life is good and I truly have so much to be grateful for.
