VIDEO: Tupelo Toy Run

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI)-For more than a quarter of a century, a dedicated group of men and women who love motorcycles have made some children’s lives more happy at Christmas time.

They gathered Saturday morning at Tupelo’s Ballard Park. More than 100 cyclists from various clubs were on hand. Some of the riders actually put their stuffed animal toys on the back of their bikes for the ride.

This is the 27th year for the Mingo Toy Run which this year is providing toys to children at the Harden House in Fulton, Faith Haven Shelter in Lee County and LeBonheur Children’s hospital.

“If you’ve ever seen kids that don’t have anything and you give them the presents and they see Santa it makes it worth it’s a blessing for all the bikers to be able to do this,” says rider Richie Jones.

Richie Jones says unfortunately some agencies have had to forego participating in the toy run.

“We’re sad that the Children’s Mansion they’re not allowed to participate anymore either and they had hosted us for years and they were always really good to us and great with us but it’s just the day and time we live in you know they had to go higher security,” says Jones.

Then under police escort they headed east to Grace Memorial Baptist Church in Skyline to deliver the toys to the three beneficiaries. Kelly Scott is with LeBonheur.

“Lebonheur treats around 22-thousand kids each year from Northeast Mississippi so you know it is so important that do things like this in our community to keep our name out there and just let people know that they are helping a hospital that treats all of our local children,” says Scott.

The beneficiaries of the Mingo Toy Run don’t have the normal Christmas with mom and dad and brothers and sisters sitting around a Christmas tree. That is why this event is so important in making these children’s lives as joyful as possible on Christmas morning.

“Faith Haven and Harden House they have parents but they’ve been taken away or a problem home or it’s a problem child you know that kind of thing emergency home you know Faith Haven is an emergency and so you know they’re not be able to be at home. A lot of our children they may be up there alone they don’t have a lot of family so this a way that we can give back to them and put a smile on their face,” says Scott.

“Some of these children have absolutely nothing and when you see the face when you give them the presents I mean it makes their whole Christmas otherwise they may not have anything. It’s more for us really I think anyway. It’s the children. You see big burly guys there with tears running down their eyes so it’s something to see,” says Jones.

Lebonheur has begun a major expansion of its Tupelo operation and we will have more details on that in the coming year.

Categories: Local News

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