Toy Run 2024: LOTS of toys to go! There’s still time to donate! Get cracking!
Various venues jumped in as collection and motorcycle clubs were encouraged to arrange their own runs to any of the designated collection venues.
Staff at Caxton Local Media’s head office in Ravenswood, Boksburg, opened their hearts to Toy Run 2024 and today (November 29) we handed over a box brimming with delights for children to the Gauteng Motorcycle Toy Run chairperson and organiser, Pete Beart.
While smiling and grateful for the big box of toys, Pete said donations overall have been very disappointing this year. As previously widely reported by Caxton Local Media publications, the event was thrown a curve ball by the City of Ekurhuleni this year, leaving organisers scrambling to come up with a different format to ensure they still collected thousands of toys for distribution to needy children.
The stringent and varying implementation of the Safety at Sports and Recreational Events Act 2 of 2010 (revised in 2017) by the CoE and its Disaster and Emergency Management Services forced the much-loved Toy Run to forgo its traditional mass ride and gathering at Benoni Northerns Sports Club at the end of November – for the first time in 13 years!
Nonetheless determined and unshaken, the Johannesburg Toy Run committee’s target of 20 000 toys set the wheels in motion for the 42nd annual run in its new format.
Various venues jumped in as collection and motorcycle clubs were encouraged to arrange their own runs to any of the designated collection venues.
“Schools, social clubs, service organisations, churches and members of the public were also encouraged to support our efforts,” said Pete.
“More than 300 volunteers will sort and bag all the donations, which will be distributed to identified children’s homes by the various Round Table, Lions and Rotary clubs.”
How to get your donation into the right hands BY SUNDAY (DECEMBER 1):
• Drop donations off at Northerns Sports Club main hall until 09:00.
• Drop off at RADA Unearthed, 8 Moray Drive, Bryanston, after 09:00.
• Contact Pete on 063 689 3700 to discuss other options.
Let’s all do our part to help the organisers exceed their target of 20 000 toys!
Also Read: Pledge your support for Santa Shoebox Project
