KAILUA-KONA — Every few minutes, a new crowd of bikers came roaring into the parking lot at the Old Kona Airport Makaeo Event Pavilion.
Some were wearing Santa hats; most of them had a toy tied to the front of the motorcycle. All of them were here for one reason: to help out the kids of the Big Island.
“It’s just to help out the kids,” said Dexter Chaves, Big Island director for Hui Maka’i Motorcycle Club.
For the past 22 years, bikers have come from all over the island, collecting toys to benefit Toys for Tots.
Each year, the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program collects new, unwrapped toys for needy children in communities across the country.
According to the program’s website, campaigns are held in more than 700 communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Collection begins in October and runs through December, with distribution to take place in mid- to late-December, according to the website.
The program was approved as an official Marine Corps activity in 1995. In its lifespan, the program has given out more than 512 million toys to more than 237 million children.
Motorcycle parades are held across the country to generate donations that benefit Toys for Tots.
Last year in Chicago, the annual motorcycle parade there drew an estimated 70,000 participants on a route that spanned 20 miles, according to an NBC affiliate from that city.
The Kona ride is one of four islandwide rides that benefits Toys for Tots and draws about 200 riders, said Chaves. Last Saturday, a similar event took place in Hilo.
In total, Chaves said he expected the Kona ride to collect 500-600 gifts for needy kids on the Big Island.
Those coming out for the event said that speaks to the character of the island’s biker community.
“The bike community here is very strong, very supportive,” said Melanie Galloway.
Like many of those here, Galloway’s been coming out for the Toys for Tots ride since the beginning.
She noted that the toys collected at the day’s event stay on this island.
And that’s important.
“We got a lot of kids who go without,” she said.
Saturday’s participants came from all over the island for the ride.
The Pilau motorcycle club, for example, came from Hilo.
“It’s for the kids, man,” said club president Paki Melim. “You gotta give back to the kids.”
Melim said that even though bikers can get a rough reputation, they’re still like anybody else.
“We’re ordinary people; we just love to ride,” he said. “Everybody has their out; this is ours.”
Dusty Bell, 70, is another who’s been coming out every year.
“Ever since they had it,” he said. “It’s just fun giving back to the community and kids.”
While much of the crowd sported the colors of their respective clubs, the event itself is open to anybody who wants to ride.
Trish Champagne said she came out with about five other people and has been coming out for the past three or four years.
“It’s that camaraderie. It’s that brotherhood that’s there,” she said. “And of course it’s a good cause.”
At 11 a.m., the crowd of bikers headed out on their ride, which took them out to Keauhou and back.
At the front of the pack was none other than Santa Claus himself. The gifts will be distributed on Dec. 11 in Hilo.
“It’s for the kids,” Santa said. “You gotta see the expression on their faces.”