By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
Ronda Lemons, the secretary of the Tri-County Riders, is excited about Sunday – and the 21st annual Toy Run.
A fundraiser for Love Inc. in Burlington, the Toy Run draws hundreds of motorcycle riders every year to six different routes over southeast Wisconsin.
The ride starts from the Burlington ChocolateFest grounds at 10 a.m. Sunday morning, with six different ride captains and the 54 riders from Racine, Kenosha and Walworth counties. All stops are in those three counties as well.
In addition, Lemons said, the group is expecting 500 to 600 motorcycles – an average of what the group draws yearly.
“This is our 21st year, and it seems to get better and better every year,” Lemons explained. “I think it has to do with a lot of people support Love Inc.
“Love is a great place, as far as everything they do for the community,” Lemons added.
Although the six rides depart from the same location, they offered varied destinations.
“Some of the rides will have 60 bikes. Some of the rides will have 200 bikes,” Lemons said. Two of the bigger rides are Henry and Scott – which takes the riders the farthest west and tends to be the most scenic, Lemons said – and the “Pack Rat” ride, which stops at Great Lakes Dragaway in Union Grove.
“A lot of people like that because, when they leave, they get to go down the drag strip itself,” Lemon said.
All riders end up back at the ChocolateFest grounds about 3:30 or 4 p.m., and get to take part in the after-event party – which includes food, drink and, this year, the band Burro Creek.
Burro Creek is a country western band that has made stops across southeast Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, including the Kenosha County Fair.
There will also be vendors offering jewelry, leather and other riding items, as well as the annual raffle with a grand prize of $1,500.
There is a pre-registration party Friday at Silver City Suds in Silver Lake.
The cost for participating as a rider is $20 – or $20 worth of new toys. It is $10 per passenger. Money raised goes to fund the Love Inc. Christmas program, which helps fill Christmas lists of families in need. The toys also help fill the list.
With the weather forecast predicting sun and temperatures in the 60s for the weekend, the event could get one of the nicest weekends of the last month.
“The weather’s supposed to be perfect,” Lemons said. “It’s a lot of work. It’s literally four days getting everything ready.
“When the run starts, everyone gets to relax,” she added.
For more on the ride, visit www.tricountyriders.net.
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