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Toys ride in

With Christmas a few months away, Santa Clause continued to deliver holiday cheer as he rode to the Salvation Army on his motorcycle.
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Two motorcycle enthusiasts ride down Cumberland Street with their toys on Saturday. (Jeff Labine, tbnewswatch.com)
With Christmas a few months away, Santa Clause continued to deliver holiday cheer as he rode to the Salvation Army on his motorcycle.

Bryan Dika has portrayed jolly Saint Nick for more than 10 years while he participated in the annual Toys for Tots motorcycle ride. Dika joined more than 200 riders on Saturday, as they traveled through the city from Thunder Bay Harley-Davidson on Arthur Street down to the Salvation Army on Cumberland Street to bring donated toys to needy children.

"It’s all for a good cause," Dika said. "I’ve been doing this for a number of years now and every year there seems to be more people coming to the Salvation Army for dinner and for Christmas. It’s sad to see kids who don’t have anything for Christmas."

Dika often dressed as Santa and delivered the donated gifts to the children in December. Seeing Santa always brought smiles to the children’s faces and often his own, he said.

Maj. Mervyn Halvorsen, executive director for the Salvation Army Social Services Thunder Bay, said with the number of participants this year the amount of toys raised would be more than 200. Those who didn’t participate also donated toys prior to the event at Excalibur Motocycle Works, Gordon Trailer Sales, J and J Sports, North Country Cycle and Sports and Thunder Bay Harley-Davidson.

Traditionally, some residents thought motorcyclists were hardhearted individuals but it is just the opposite, Halvorsen said.

"Over the years working with them they have one of the biggest hearts I’ve seen," Halvorsen said. "They care about the children and they want to make sure that all the kids have something under the tree at Christmas. The event has been able to continue because of the enthusiasm and dedication of all those motorcyclists. They organize it and we receive the toys and then we give it to the children."

About 300 residents attended the Christmas dinner last year and 75 of those patrons were children. When Santa came in with all the gifts, the children's eyes widened in amazement, he said.

"It’s going to be a very merry Christmas this year," he said.






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