Northern California bikers stage 28th annual Christmas Toy Run

Denim and leather were the uniforms of the day when nearly 600 bikers from 22 motorcycling clubs made their annual trek from the Anderson Wal-Mart SuperCenter to Anderson River Park.

Newly purchased but still unwrapped toys of all sorts were strapped to the backs of powerful machines or carefully stuffed into the biker’s saddlebags.

One person even tied a bicycle across her back for transport to a waiting large panel truck supplied by the Salvation Army.

Live rock music filled the air as hungry bikers, their toy deliveries safely deposited at the truck, filed past tables laden with hamburgers and other picnic foods.

“We just want to donate toys to kids who otherwise won’t have them for Christmas,” explained Don “Mac” MacNeil of Shingletown, director of the United Bikers of Northern California, a non-profit group that stages 19 toy runs throughout northern California between the Oregon state line and Yuba/Sutter counties and from Humboldt County on the California coast to Reno, Nev.

“This is my 28th year of organizing this particular run,” MacNeil said as gave out bear hugs to female bikers or shook hands with the guys.

“I would guess that we have 600 riders taking part here today from at least 22 different clubs,” he said as he looked over the gathering crowd.

“This is one of my favorite things we do each year,” noted Donna “Slick” Luther of Anderson. “There’s a lot of things I no longer go to, but I like being a part of this event,” she added, noting she has taken part in the annual toy runs for “15 years at least.”

“It’s just such a worthy cause,” said Luther, who donated a girl’s play tea set that she carried proudly on the back seat of her pearl-white 2000 Harley Davidson Custom Softail decorated with pink flames.

Prior to arriving at Anderson River Park, the bikers gathered outside the Anderson Wal-Mart parking lot where last-minute purchases were made and the clubs were placed in order. Providing official escort services were members of the Missing In America Project, led by Fred Salanti of Redding.