Engines, elves and empathy: Nearly 1 000 bikers ride for needy kids
The West Rand Bikers Association’s annual Santa Run attracted nearly 1 000 bikers this year, spreading festive joy and making Christmas brighter for children in need.
Bikers from across the West Rand gathered for one unified cause – to make Christmas a little more special for children in need.
On November 9, hundreds of bikers, each representing their own club, joined the annual Santa Run to raise donations for underprivileged children in the West Rand.
Event organiser JP du Toit said he stopped counting participants when the number reached 700 and estimated that almost 1 000 bikers took part. It is said to be the largest turnout since the West Rand Bikers Association (WRBA) started the Santa Run.
“The biggest challenge was keeping everyone safe, but fortunately, all riders completed the run without incident,” JP said.
Regarding the charitable side of the event, JP explained that each biker club selects the charity it wishes to support for the year. All donations are then collected and distributed to these chosen charities. Before distribution, the soft toys and other essentials are sorted according to age groups.
This year, the WRBA will also distribute donations to several schools with underprivileged learners, including Laerskool Rapportryer.
Participants Yolandé de Klerk and Karin Allers said they have been taking part in the Santa Run for more than three years. Although it was a warm day, they said it felt wonderful to ride for a good cause.
Eugene and Elmari Barnard from Draconians West Rand also joined the run. Eugene noted that the Santa Run was much bigger than he had expected and added that, as a long-time supporter of charity causes, he thoroughly enjoyed contributing to the day’s event.
