Bikers Donate Thousands Of Toys For Green Country Children

Bikers from across the state came together to bring some Christmas cheer to Green Country children Sunday.

Event coordinators for the ABATE Toys for Tots Drive said they expected more than 10,000 motorcycles to attend – each biker bringing at least one toy for a child in need.

"It's not just about giving kids presents, that is actually the least of it. Most of it is to let those kids know somebody cares," rider J Halford-Pandos said.

J and Ron Pandos have been riding in the Marines ABATE Toys for Tots Drive for the last several years. They said they do it because they love motorcycles, they love giving back, but mostly because they are both veterans, and veterans, they say, don't leave anyone behind, including families.

"It's the passion, that the kids understand that the veterans will always stand up for a child," J Halford-Pandos said.

Ron Pandos said, "It's very emotional for us, and it's very powerful to know that there are this many veterans, and this many bike riders, that are passionate for the same cause."

Bikers met up at the fairgrounds parking lot early Sunday morning, making new friends and seeing some old ones.

By the afternoon, thousands of motorcycles took to the streets, toys strapped to the back, and headed into downtown Tulsa.

"The weather is always either my friend or my enemy. Today is no exception. Today it’s gonna be my friend," said James Clark with ABATE Tulsa.

Marines stood by at Guthrie Green, stacking the donated toys into semi*trucks to give to Oklahoma children who need it the most.

"I mean, we have gathered up to 30,000 toys in a day. That's phenomenal," Clark said. "When this whole lot is filled with motorcycles, and it has been and will be, it's amazing. It's really amazing."