Tri-County Riders makes 25 stops to pickup donations
By Jason Arndt
Editor
On a sunny Sunday afternoon, hundreds of motorcyclists went on a mission to make Christmas possible for needy families in Racine, Walworth and Kenosha counties, with the Tri-County Riders holding the 30th annual Toy Run for Love, Inc.
Founded by the late Chuck and late Karen Dexter, of the Log Cabin Tavern in Burlington, the event features motorcyclists making stops at dozens of establishments in multiple counties before ending at the festival grounds off of Maryland Avenue in Burlington.
“They wanted to help children at Christmas, so they paired up with Love, Inc. and started this little run,” said Tri-County Riders President Nash Kinnard. “It has grown from a 50-bike run to what you see today.”
The Toy Run typically draws anywhere from 300 to 1,200 motorcycles participate on an annual basis.
Kinnard said the most recent event, held Sept. 8, would not have been possible without the support of motorcyclists, establishments, and the community for contributing to the group’s mission.
“The bars, establishments, and all of these riders have given us the opportunity to run this,” he said. “If it wasn’t for them, we would just be a couple of guys going for a ride. They are the ones that make this happen.”
Tri-County Riders made more than two dozen stops, including venues in all three counties, with some establishments making sizable contributions.
Kinnard reported 2 Brothers Bar and Grill from Pell Lake had more than 19 boxes of toys waiting for pickup while The Village Tap in Lyons presented 61 children’s bicycles.
“That is just two out of the 25 stops that we had today,” Kinnard said.
Bikers could select one of five runs, each featuring five establishments, based on informational flyers from Tri-County Riders.
At the end of the day, volunteers treated bikers to free food, beverages and entertainment provided by Twin Rivers Band on the festival grounds.
Giving spirit
Love, Inc., which offers a Christmas program for families in need, receives a large contribution from the Tri-County Riders Toy Run.
Executive Director Terri Plachy, of Love, Inc., said the recent event also saw the Burlington High School boys soccer program contribute to the cause by serving meals to riders upon completion of the Toy Run.
“Today has been a very big day. We have about 30 kids from the Burlington High School soccer team here. They are actually serving all of our riders and doing it cheerfully,” Plachy said.
Love, Inc. plans to distribute items from the Toy Run to agencies in neighboring counties, including the Sharing Center, of Trevor, for its Christmas program.
“This is probably one of the biggest parts of our Christmas program,” Plachy said. “We share what (Tri-County) has given us with other facilities in those counties.”
Kinnard said Tri-County Riders spends the year planning for the event with one simple mission.
“We help support families at Christmas in all three counties,” he said. “Everything that we do all year long goes to the Christmas program for these families.”
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