Easy riders: Children Madeline and Riley, at front, help promote this weekend’s toy run with, from left, Michael Wall, Vicki Humpage, Phil ‘Lucky’ Marshall and Harry Marshall.
Andrew Mathieson
LUCKY’S bald, has a handlebar moustache, tatts on his arms, rings all over his fingers and looks like one bad dude.
But slap an elf outfit on the bikie and he turns into a regular Kris Kringle.
Another motorcycle enthusiast full of Christmas spirit is Geelong Toy Run convenor Jason Burnett.
He said the men usually associated with bikes, beer and babes turned into softies at least once a year for the event to brighten Christmas for disadvantaged children.
“We have got a number of people in the club who, when you look at them, you’d say ‘Oh my God, I wouldn’t want to meet this guy down a back alley’,” Mr Burnett said.
“But you see them turn up on the day and they have a great, big, fluffy toy stuck to the back of their bike.
“I’ve got guys who, at the start of the ride, dress up like elves and one of them is Lucky.”
Mr Burnett said the organisers of Geelong’s 18th annual toy run hoped to deliver more than 3000 presents to a range of orphans, foster children, underprivileged kids and others from “distressed or broken” families.
The organisers expected between 1000 and 1500 bikies to ride from central Geelong to Portarlington and on to Queenscliff this Sunday.
“It’s not just Harleys,” Mr Burnett said.
“We get people turning up on scooters, Vespas, BMWs and anything with two wheels and an engine.
“A couple of years ago we had a guy turn up on a postie’s scooter with a nitrox bottle strapped on the side of it.”
Mr Burnett said Queenscliff’s Cottage by the Sea, Bethany family services and Geelong Hospital children’s ward would distribute cash donations, non-perishable food and toys collected during the ride.
The ride leaves Geelong’s Mercer Street at 10.30am.
