BARRHEAD - A few more children will find something special waiting for them on Christmas Day thanks to the efforts of the Barrhead chapter of the Red Knights motorcycle club.
On Saturday Aug. 29, the Red Knights raised $912 for Barrhead and District Family Community Support Services (FCSS) Santa’s Toy Box program. On top of the funds raised by each rider/passenger team that donated a new toy for the program as well.
The Red Knights International Firefighters Motorcycle Club, is as the name suggests, a motorcycle club for firefighters past and present.
The Barrhead chapter was formed a little over three years ago by former fire chief John Whittaker, a long-time motorcycle rider.
Red Knight president and Barrhead Regional Fire Services firefighter Leo Knol said the morning got off to a cool start which made much of the 250-kilometre ride equally chilly. After a brief tour of Barrhead’s downtown, the route took them to Neerlandia, Westlock, Morinville and Lac La Nonne, before returning to Barrhead for a barbeque at the fire hall.
Over lunch, the winner of the event’s poker rally was announced. Participants of the ride’s poker rally received one card at three of the tour’s rest stops as well as the at the start of the finish.
“It was a wonderful event,” said Red Knight vice-president Don Smith. “It was a fun ride and despite being a relatively small group we managed to raise a lot of money for FCSS and that’s on top of the toys that were collected.”
He added that unfortunately, due to the coronavirus, some of the fundraising events that businesses and organizations hold on their behalf, such the Scotiabank’s annual toy ride hot dog barbeque was cancelled.
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