By JUDD WEIL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The annual Reno County Toy Run over the weekend in Hutchinson saw 380 motorcycles, 835 toys, more than 150 bicycles donated, and 148 bowls of chili served on Nov. 20.
The toy run started at 10 a.m. at Salty Cycles, 129 E. Sherman St.
Riders and their street-legal motorcycles gathered as they prepared to take new and unopened toys to Moose Lodge on the other side of Hutchinson.
“This is 'give back to the community' for us,” Scott Marshall, Salty Cycles owner, said. “We’ve donated almost half of those bicycles that are out there. That's our 'give back,' you know? We’re small business. We are low cash flow, but, for me, it’s giving back to the community.”
Marshall said this was Salty Cycles second year participating in the Reno County Toy Run.
Last Sunday was the 39th year for the Reno County Toy Run.
The Reno County Toy Run started when Alan Turner and his friends saw a need in the community, and set to work organizing what would eventually become the first iteration of the toy run.
The first toy run culminated at the police station.
“Then the following year, someone else had picked it up, and we just thought we’d probably do the same thing,” Turner said. “Someone else picked it up, and got the parade permits, and actually started it for the parade part and everything.”
Since the first and second toy runs, Alan Turner had not been too involved. He became a part of the Reno County Toy Run again, 19 years ago.
Tammy Ward-Railsback, with the Reno County Toy Run committee, commended Egbert Liquor Store and Salty Cycles for their help.
For two years, the Reno County Toy Run committee had to stop the bicycle donations because it did not have a place to store them.
Fortunately, Salty Cycles offered their other building to store the bikes.
"As far as I know, we are the only toy run in the immediate area that actually has this many bicycles,” said Ward-Railsback. “It’s something that we started many years ago. This year we’re really proud after two years of a lapse, to bring back the bicycles.”
“We give some to Nickerson, Haven, Salvation Army here for Hutchinson children, so we just give them to everybody,” she said.
Salty Cycles donated more than $6,000 in bicycles.
“That is unprecedented,” Ward-Railsback said. “And on top of that, Tracy Phleger-Frick with Egbert Liquor, every year she does a monetary donation, she raised over $3,000 this year. Her and Sugarleaf Distribution matched dollar-for-dollars, so they raised over $6,000 just in cash.”
The Reno County Toy Run committee will use that money to fill voids that the toys do not fill, according to Ward-Railsback.
“The community was just awesome this year,” Ward-Railsback said. “We couldn’t thank everybody enough.”
The Reno County Toy Run concluded at Moose Lodge, located at 1401 E. 1st Ave., with a chili feed, shirt and button vendors, and live auction.
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