| The
Maui Toy Run is a toy drive
organized by Street Bikers United
Hawaii.
The Maui Toy Run is a proud
part of the United States Marine
Corps’ Toys For Tots program
which is administered on Maui
by the Salvation Army.
Toys For Tots helps bring the
joy of Christmas to Maui County’s
less fortunate children and
families.
MAUI TOY RUN 2008 is Sunday,
December 21st.
All Motorcyclists Are Welcome!
Bring New, unwrapped Toys For
Tots and meet at the Kaahumanu
Avenue Burger King parking lot
at 9 am. Run leaves at 10 am.
We do 50 marvelous Maui miles
under a police escort, finishing
with a Biker Banquet and Benefit
Party - great people, great
food, live music, thousand$
in raffle items and lots of
Aloha!
With
our police escort, run insurance,
printing, advertising and other
expenditures, the Maui Toy Run
costs thousands to put together.
Help make the Run happen by
making a donation of any amount
to the Maui Toy Run.
Toys For Tots
Toys for Tots began in 1947 when Major Bill Hendricks, USMCR and a group
of Marine Reservists in Los Angeles collected and distributed 5,000 toys
to needy children. The idea came from Bill's wife, Diane. In the fall of
1947, Diane handcrafted a Raggedy Ann doll and asked Bill to deliver the
doll to an organization, which would give it to a needy child at Christmas.
When Bill determined that no agency existed, Diane told Bill that he should
start one. He did. The 1947 pilot project was so successful that the Marine
Corps adopted Toys for Tots in 1948 and expanded it into a nationwide campaign.
That year, Marine Corps Reserve units across the nation conducted Toys for
Tots campaigns in each community in which a Marine Reserve Center was located.
Marines have conducted successful nationwide
campaigns at Christmas each year since 1948. The initial objective that
remains
the hallmark of the
program today is to “bring the joy of Christmas to America's needy
children.”
Here in Hawaii the Marines have authorized the Salvation Army–which
is recognized worldwide for its effectiveness and efficiency–to
collect and distribute toys. The Marines have actually planted
people in the Salvation Army, posing as helpers, to verify that
everything is legitimate. It is. Toys are not sold. They are
distributed to families and children throughout Maui County.
The Salvation Army also buys toys because not enough are donated.
Lanai and Molokai are part of Maui county and some toys donated
on Maui do go to those islands. The Salvation Army serves 250
to 500 children on Lanai and over 2,000 on Molokai every Christmas.
Those communities are so economically depressed that the most
toys ever donated on them has totaled 50. Usually it’s
about 20 or less. Toys also come to those islands from Oahu.
Because our run is so close to Christmas, time and distance dictate
that most of the toys collected in our run are distributed on
Maui while some may go to Lanai.
Rest assured, our Maui Toy Run, Toys For Tots, The United States
Marine Corps, and the Salvation Army are totally legit and are
getting your donated toys to where they are needed.
Any Questions? Call Artat 808-870-1899
or
SEE YOU AT THE RUN! |
