BIKER NEWS: Why a biker group canceled its Toys for Tots ride in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -

BIKER NEWS -- One of the area's biggest charity rides won’t hit the road this year. The motorcycle run was supposed to be a drive to help Toys for Tots give toys to kids in need.

The Salvation Army has a room full of toys, and the organization expects thousands more in the next few weeks. The numbers may shrink without the annual ride.

Every year, more than 2,000 bikers make the ride along Glenstone, and then drop off toys.

But this year police will not block off streets for the ride. A police union spokesman said the union couldn’t afford the cost of workers compensation insurance it would have to buy to provide officers. So the group organizing the ride, Galloping Goose Motorcycle Club, cancelled the event. Leaders say that means fewer toys will go to Toys for Tots.

At the Salvation Army, more than a third of the toys comes from Toys for Tots, but they're still going to find a way to help all the families in need.

"We will still meet the need of the kids in other avenues, either through our owner donors giving the donation of the toys, us using the money from Christmas time to purchase more additional toys then what we've had to purchase in the past, “said local commander Maj. Mike Mills.

If you want to help, you can still donate toys directly to the Salvation Army or to Toys for Tots.

Organizers with the motorcycle club says they'll also be collecting toys, just not doing the drive this year.

Organizers with the motorcycle club are still collecting the toys at what used to be the ride's drop off point. It's at Transport Graphics at 836 N. Glenstone. They'll be taking toys on Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m.

Copyright © 2015, KSPR News

This article was first published on Dec 04, 2015

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