Toys For Tots

For the past 25 years the biker group Roaddogs has sponsored the Toys For Tots. This was our first year participating. The second Friday in December is the huge Christmas Party. This year it was held at Bones Brewery. The only requirement to get into the party is that you have to be to a biker and that you bring in an unwrapped toy or money for the cause. We found out about this from our HOG friends who have been participating the past five years.

We arrived at Bones in plenty of time and we managed to get a table large enough for our group. There were 8 couples in our group. We had a table large enough, but not enough chairs, but that didn't pose a problem we we took turns standing. I should say the guys took turns standing. There was a live band called Jamulation from Bozeman. They were pretty good, played good rock and roll music. None of the stuff that today's kids listen to. They played music from the 60's, 70' and 80's. There was also a live auction and a silent auction. Some of the items being auctioned off were 52" flat screen tv's, computers, game consoles and a bunch of other nice items. The silent auction were mainly gift baskets. They were also selling t-shirts for the toy run.

We had a great time, we left around 11:00 pm. We both had been drinking, but since it was determined that I would be the driver, I quite drinking earlier. We both wanted something to eat, so ate at Denny's as that was the only 24 hour restaurant we could think of to go. Once I got some fresh air and something to eat I was better. To tell the truth, after leaving the bar I really should not have been driving. I was fine, but if we got stopped for anything I would have been in trouble.

Sunday morning we left Hardin to head back to Billings to help deliver toys at the mall. All the toys went to the Salvation Army and they will dole out all the gifts. Saturday the head Roaddogs spend the day shopping. It was very cold Sunday morning, below zero.

Our original goal was to meet our friends at a fire station house in Billings, but we couldn't find it. We got about 6 different directions on where it was. So we went out for breakfast instead. After breakfast we made our way to the mall and waited. Most of our friends were just going to be at the mall, none were riding due to the weather. It was just too cold and the roads were too icy.

The bikers arrived at noon. There were about 50 die hard bikers riding in the bitter cold and they all looked very frozen. Two dump trucks filled with toys stopped at the front of the mall and just started unloading. There were about 250 bikers helping unload all the toys. Gary and I got separated. All the toys were delivered to the Salvation Army tree in the mall and it was buried.

I went out to take some photos, then carried in a sack full of toys. By the time I made it out to get another load to carry in, all they toys were delivered, so I made my way back inside to take more photos. Gary would find me one way or the other.

It was announced later and in the news that the Roaddogs Toy Run delivered $30,000 worth of toys to needy children of Billings. Gary and I decided that we want to make this one of the annual things we must do. Hopefully the weather will be nicer so that we are able to ride. We are going to stock up on some toys over the next year. Needless to say, the coffee shops in the mall were making money left and right. The bikers just wanted something warm to drink.

After the toy run, the HOG chapter had their meeting and chili feed. Not too many of us there this time, weather played alot to it. Chili was good, especially on a freezing day. We had a very busy weekend and we both enjoyed ourselves.