16th ANNUAL "ELDRIDGE TOY RUN"

This picture was take several years ago during one of our events. Last year we were blessed with beautiful weather and over 1k motorcycles!

This is not your ordinary Toy Run. We suggest donations of cash or checks made payable to Eldridge Children’s Home. These funds are used to sustain the home the entire year. We do present gifts to all the children from their own Christmas “wish list”.

The Eldridge Benefit Team consists of motorcycle and antique car enthusiasts from Northeast Mississippi and Northwest Alabama joining hands with the community to lend support in financial aid and awareness of the Eldridge Children’s Home in Eldridge, Alabama. Since 1948, this home has given a home to children in all age groups without support from state or federal money. Most support is from the home-based church with many other churches, civil groups and volunteers lending a hand both in services and financial support.
Riders from the entire Southeast USA arrive from all directions on the first Saturday in December, hence The First Saturday in December–all roads lead to Eldridge.
Rain or shine, hot or cold the event will happen so prepare to join us for a day for the kids. This benefit on site enables you to see where and how your donations are used.

Join us, bring your riding group. We guarantee you will leave with a warm heart for your ride home.
The Benefit Team

For more information you can go to http://www.eldridgetoyrun.com or you are welcome to email me. This is our 16th year for doing this event and Shirl and I are proud to be a small part of it. Last year we had several Slingshots show up as well as custom and antique cars and trucks. For the first time we had several of the younger crowd show up with their jacked up 4x4's. In the past we've had everything from Monster Trucks, Rat Rods, Top Fuel Race Bikes, Racing Lawn Mowers, VW Trikes, Slingshots,Farm Tractors, Fire Trucks etc, etc. Don't matter how you travel just be there to enjoy a good meal and share a little time with the children and parents of the home. We promise to get you gone in time that day to watch the SEC College Football Championship game.

Things have been put in motion already for this year's event. Everything is looking good for another great get together.

Everyone please put this event on your calendar.

Thanks,

Quote from Bu11sh1t

what time does it start on Saturday

Most of the participants in the car and truck shows will arrive by 10:30am. Most of the bikes start rolling in by 11:00 and there will be hundreds of them. This year in addition to having a bike show we are planning to also have a trike show. I recommend you get there by 10:30am There should be signs showing where you need to park to participate in each one. There is no fee for participating in any of the shows and plaques called "children's choice awards" are given to 1st through 3rd places. The winners are picked by children that live at the home, hence the reason we call it the "children's choice awards". You never know what a child will pick! There will be forms handed out for you to fill out and leave on your vehicle if you wish it to be considered.

When you arrive and get parked you are welcome to come to the entrance of the "activities" building and enter there to be served lunch at no charge. You will take your plate and find a place at a table in the huge building in the center of the campus. This building holds a special meaning to all of us who have participated in this event since the beginning. You see in the beginning this building did not exist. The first two or three events were so small that everything was held inside the activities building. Then for several years we rented a huge "circus" tent. Finally we decided that we should use some of the proceeds from our event to build a building on campus big enough to no only house our event but be there for the children to use for various activities and events. The participants of this event are solely responsible for this huge building in the center of the campus.

The program with the children starts at 12:00 and only lasts about an hour or so. This year we have 31 kids so it may extend it a few minutes. It is amazing to be there from the beginning that morning and watch as everything comes together and then is over so quick and everyone is gone. Needless to say this is one of if not the most exciting days for the children all year long. People in the small towns surrounding Eldridge will line up on the street to watch the bikes roll through on their way to Eldridge.

As mentioned above there is no charge for participating in this event. There will be a place before you enter the activities building to make a donation if you wish. There is no set amount, follow your heart. There are also plenty of merchandise to be purchased on the South side of the activities building under the tents. All proceeds from this merchandise goes directly to the home. As you can imagine they don't really need toys, what they need is $$$ to keep this home open and operating year round. This home does NOT operate on state and federal funds. It operates on donations from churches and individuals just like you and I. I know how expensive it is to raise one child, I can only imagine what it takes to provide for 31. This home is very unique in the way it operates. These children go to public schools, go to local churches, go hunting, go fishing, go to college ball games ect. Their house parents try their best to make sure these kids have as normal a life as possible without being with their own families. In many cases the kids that are here came from bad situations where they can no longer be with their family. Others are here because something happened to their families and there is no one left that is capable of supporting them. In some of these cases the remaining family members are welcome to come to the home and visit the children or even take them out for a weekend when they can. I have often said that if my child could not be with family I would pray that they could be at this home.

I appreciate everyone's interest in this event and invite each of you to come and try it once. If you ever do then there is not doubt in my mind where you will be every year on the first Saturday in December!

BUMP!!

It’s getting closer!

Is it on your calendar?

I’m not as good as @dangerdarrell so I won’t promise anything about the weather except that it is a rain or shine event and the show will go on! Maybe we could employ that pole dancing weather man from @MACAWSevent to help us out.