PRINCETON, W. Va. -For the past twelve years, the Toys for Tots in Princeton has benefited from motorcycle enthusiasts using their passion to help children in our area. They take a ride from Princeton to Bluefield, with the cost for each participant being a new toy, with an estimated sixty to eighty riders taking part this year.
“You know, I think it comes down to everybody just want children to have a merry Christmas every year, and that includes people who have all different interests, so if there’s a group of folks that like to ride motorcycles, they like to be together and share that fellowship, they can get together and help support children in our area, hey why not? That’s… part of what this region does, we come together and help each other out,” says Charlie Smith, LCO coordinator for Toys for Tots.
Smith says Toys for Tots is community driven, meaning without people with a passion for helping children, some children may not have the merry Christmas they wish for. One rider participating this year helped bring this event to life more than a decade ago, with the goal of giving kids the Christmas he didn’t have as a child.
“…I grew up as a poor kid, didn’t have nothing on Christmas. I wanted other kids to have something…” says Michael Boyle, founder of the Toys for Tots motorcycle run, “…It’s very important because some of these kids don’t have nothing and to wake up and have something for them, it’s a great surprise, they feel wonderful, and it helps them a lot.”
Boyle encourages other motorcycle riders to consider joining them next year, reminding everyone that our kids are our future.
Smith says there is still a need for toys in our area and you don’t have to be a biker to help out. Just drop off toys at participating locations, such as inside Mercer Mall near J. C. Penny’s. You can also make a monetary donation on the Princeton Toys for Tots website.
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