+ Click to Enlarge FROM THE HEART TO THE HEART: Hundreds of bikers gather round to throw their toys "in the box" at Maynardville, end venue of the Cape Town Toy Run. Image: Tim Booysen

December 2, 2009

Tim Booysen of Cape Town was the first motoring.co.za reader to respond to our invitation to send us pictures of the 2009 Toy Runs - so he gets pride of place in our Readers' Pictures gallery.

Wilma Springveldt of Cape Town worked very hard on her Toy Run outfit and Vincent Farrell sent us lots of pictures of the Pretoria Toy Run from the Pick n Pay Hyper in Montana to the Carousel Casino.

More pictures of the Pretoria Toy Run came from Francois Oosthuizen.

Dries van der Walt was a marshal on the Pretoria Toy Run - here's his story:

With the roar of thousands of motorcycle engines shattering the pastoral quiet of a Sunday morning in Pretoria, a very small group of riders are not preoccupied with the noble deed of taking toys to under-privileged children, or with the enjoyable early-morning ride that lies ahead. They are thinking of little more than getting this mammoth precession safely to it’s destination: Carousel Casino on the outskirts of Gauteng.

Safety at an organised event of this magnitude is no easy task, and as in the past, the responsibility to keep the riders safe falls on the shoulders of the Think Bike Safety and Awareness Campaign. The Think Bike Marshals have become a familiar sight for Toy Run regulars, but this year their numbers are swelled by additional marshals supplied by the Christian Motorcyclists Association. The Special Events Unit of the Tshwane Metro Police, led by Superintendent Daniel Smit, make up the remainder of the safety force.

Bikers begin to arrive at the departure point, Kolonade Retail Park, as early as 6am in anticipation of this annual pilgrimage. There is time for something to eat before the designated hour arrives, and the more than 5 000 motorcycles begin to form up behind Metro Police and the marshals. To give you a better idea of how many bikes that really is, it takes almost 40 minutes for the entire group to pass a given point.

As the procession makes its way onto the N1 highway, there are one or two incidents of other road users verbally abusing the marshals, but mostly the public are patient and appreciative. Several onlookers bring a smile to my face with their expressions of almost comical awe at the sight (and sound) of so many bikes.

The ride to Carousel is almost uneventful, with only two minor accidents taking place. In both cases we are extremely relieved to learn that the riders escaped serious injury. Arrival at the end venue seems to go off without a glitch, and as I enter the parking lot I am greeted by the sight of the multitude of motorcycles that have arrived safely. At this point there is the relief of knowing that the ride was successful, and at last we marshals can relax and enjoy the day with fellow bikers.

We hope that this year’s successful inaugural run to Carousel will grow even bigger in years to come. From the Think Bike marshals, a big thank-you to all the participants for a disciplined, responsible and safe ride.

There's always room for plenty more pictures of the Toy Run in your town or city, from your unique point of view.

If you'd like to see yourself or your friends on motoring.co.za, email your pictures to dave.abrahams@iol.co.za WITH A CAPTION giving names and places, and we'll add them to our picture galleries.