Thursday, December 21, 2006

Toys 4 Tots - Time for a Change?

Do you think Toys For Tots should continue to be held on the first Sunday of December, or would you like to see it moved to November when the weather is a bit more stable? What about Christmas in July? Your thoughts please!

38 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't mind the cold, but I sure do mind the salt, sleet, snow and ice that prevented me from participating this year and several years past. I'm all FOR moving it to an earlier date.

Anonymous said...

Just because it's a tradation (December) doesn't make it right. How many riders have gone down and been injured or killed because of the extreme weather? I say time for a change.

Anonymous said...

As already stated the cold is not the real problem. It's the ice, snow and salt. I for one have a lenghty ride to get to the parade route. While July would be easy I think sometime in November be better attended.

Anonymous said...

Honestly I live in Rockford IL, and we had an event at the end of nov, begining of dec ( not sure on exact date) but it was done with the marines. I am part of a bike club here, and although we are mainly sport bikes we feel a responcibility to our community to help the people that aren't as well off as we are. I would rather see the toys for tots done earlier in the year so that way the sport bike clubs could join too. With our bikes being lighter, and having high HP we have a hard time riding when it is cold cause our tires dont give much grip. Not to mention we dont have wind shields to block the cold air.

Anonymous said...

IMO, I'd rather see it moved to an earlier time in the year. Ditto on the salt and black ice on the roads. I knew the guy 2 years ago that went down. Cold weather does not bother me, either. Ice does..

Anonymous said...

I have missed it the last couple of times because of the weather.I'm all for moving it to a earlier date!There is nothing wrong having christmas in November.I SAY TIME FOR CHANGE.

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with the previous comments. I have been riding for 15 years. Out of those 15, I have been in the parade atleast 6 times. It's always weather related and how messy the streets are. It's totally unsafe to ride on ice and sometimes on the salt. Does anyone know who we can contact, or how we can start a petion on trying to change this?

CgoBiker said...

Email your comments to the Toys 4 Tots board president, Robert "Cooch" Kuczera, at info@chicagolandtft.org

Anonymous said...

Absolutely... two years in a row with lousy weather? Too many issues, even for the most macho of types to continue to ride in snow/sleet and with constant risk of black ice. I'd go for October, usually the nicest month of the year with most consistent wearther.

supafly said...

Yes, warmer weather would make for better riding!

Anonymous said...

I have to agree with everyone. I understand the tradition of the first Sunday in December, however the last two years that I attended were awful in terms of attendence and conditions, particularly two years ago with the snow and even worse road salt on the streets. My bike and I were covered with good ol' Streets And Sans road salt after that run and there were at most, 900 bikes in the parade and perhaps 2,000 this year.The kids are the ones suffering due to low toy collections......

Anonymous said...

I don't ride in this just because of the weather. Change to another date, perhaps the fall, and it would be more enjoyable.

Anonymous said...

Yes...Absolutely change the dates. The idea is to raise money for a cause. I haven't attended because of the cold. I'm assuming I'm not the only one that has made that chioce. Hmmmmm....I wonder how much more money could be raised if more riders showed up????

Anonymous said...

I go back to 1982 when I attended my first Toy run. When the request came to change from Saturday to Sunday, there was strong resistence to the change, but eventually no one even remembers that the run was originally held on the first Saturday in December.
Moving the date up just a few weeks could go a long way to having consistantly better weather for the run. A new tradition is in order! The membership of the Chicago A.B.A.T.E, HOG and Norton Owners have all voted and agree!

Anonymous said...

Better weather means more riders and more spectators. All in all, holding the event around the middle of November would have a significant positive impact. I agree, move it to November.

jel111 said...

vxispcfmI think it is not a bad idea just because it seems it would give the tots volunteers more time to deal with the toys.It is a hard call though just because you feel more like you are doin something than just givin a toy and tannin on the bike.

Anonymous said...

I've been to several,some were shall we say,not so nice and very dangerous! More people would show up. Cleaning the salt off takes longer than the ride! And if anyone remembers,they didn't even finish the first ride on two wheels!

MOVE THE DATE!

Anonymous said...

The ride should be held in September or October. It would be nice if the end of the riding season if capped off by the Toys for Tots ride. I do not mind the cold but I do mind the inclement weather.

Anonymous said...

No later than November; ditto on the salt. Don’t mind sayin’ the cold is an issue also, I don’t mind ridin’ in it out of necessity but I don’t go lookin’ for it. TFT is a great charity but I won’t likely participate at that time of year.

Anonymous said...

The whole idea of the ride is to benefit the kids while enjoying a great ride. If the ride was moved up to October or so, we would have more people ride which means more support for the kids who need it and those who ride would enjoy it more.

TC

Anonymous said...

I think so. I agree with people in this blog about the fact that it's for a good cause but it should also be enjoyable and safe for riders. It does make sense that more people will join in during better weather which will benefit Toys for Tots.

Anonymous said...

I think July is bad idea cuz too many people outside during summer and possible more driver out of control.... NO THANKS! Keep this way in December first sunday! keep tradition going on!

Anonymous said...

YES, move it. so many people skip it because of the weather. it would get way more people, especially from the suburbs. it could be 10, 20 thousand bikes every time, but for the ice and 5 degree weather.

Anonymous said...

Nobody that has a nice bike and cares about its finish and detail wants to ride after salt trucks have been out spreading their "cheer" on the roads. I say it should be 1st or 2nd weekend (before Thanksgiving) in November at the latest - they'd get a LOT better turnout. Each year by Thanksgiving our two bikes are already in winter storage at the Harley dealership.

Anonymous said...

Oct or Nov dates would be best. Less DANGER of being killed!!! Better turn out. More toys for the tots. I used to go when I was a bit younger and more bullit proof. But I havent attended for years now due to the extreme conditions that pose those threats. It`s not worth losing your life for a damn toy! C`mon people, get it right. But that would be to simple. Oh yeah I forgot, this is in Chicago.

Anonymous said...

Once again, the organizers of Toys For Tots have failed to realize the importance of moving the date of their event a few weeks earlier because of "Tradition". I say, "the hell with tradition", and think about the safety of participants and those who refuse to participate because of dangerous, icy conditions that usually prevail on the first Sunday of December. In at least one accident, a biker was seriously cut by his windscreen after his bike went down on a slippery patch. Last year a rider was killed on Western Ave. when a cager pulled from a side street.

Anonymous said...

Maybe if the parade was moved to the Sunday before Thanksgiving, there would be more participants, which means more toys :)

Anonymous said...

Skip, All Chicagoland Bikers should contact TFT's and ask them to reschedule the parade for the 2nd week in November. with the bad weather we have been having in the last several years, tha only ones losing are the "Tots", Vince

Anonymous said...

As a charity event, it would make more sense to do it in warmer weather. Warmer weather = more riders = more money for kids. The goal of this event is to collect for the cause and not to see who is the most macho rider.

Anonymous said...

As a 25 year participant in the Toys For Tots event and a few years as one of the board of directors and organizers of the event it has come to my attention from comments from hundreds of bikers that its time to change the date of the event and also the ending destination . The event has traditionally started at 83rd and Western and ended at the USMC reserve center on the North side of Chicago . The facts are that it has snowed, sleeted and rained for the last four years of the event .Masive quantities of salt have been applied on all of the main streets in Chicago each year. You could not get there or go home without geting a layer of salt on your bike and undercarriage . Parking at the end is minimal or no longer available due to the CTA expanding its lot with new buidilngs .There have been accidents reported due to weather and some fatalities related to the event. The Marines always have a manpower shortage for the event and have said for many years that they would be very receptive to receiving the toys at an earlier date. They stated that they can recieve toys starting in September . When applying for a parade permit for this years Toys For Tots with the City Of Chicago the
organization was told that this year they can expect to pay
10 -15 thousand dollars to the city to cover expenses for
Police , fire . salt trucks
traffic management etc . The TFT org. has never had to pay a fee to the city to put on the evnt . The cash strapped city of Chicago is making it more and more difficult for the TFT org to put on the event .The city has also proposed changing the date and the route. The TFT org Board of Directors are stubbornly sticking with the "Tradition " of doing the ride on the first Sunday in December . The reality of all of this is that thousands of bikers have stopped coming to the event due to dangerous conditions . Thousands less toys are brought in to aid kids . Perhaps the event has had its days of glory and its time to reorganize or have bikers roll in to a new centralized location on their own and not have to deal with the city , parking gridlock and objection from all involved .
The solution is in the voices of the masses that participate to help kids . Send them your comments @ chicagolandtft.org

Anonymous said...

please change the date, for the kids benefit. the first two weeks in nov . . no salt, no snow, and more toys for tots.

Anonymous said...

Since King Daley wants to charge, how about starting in Berwyn on Ogden Ave (Route 66) and heading west. Or Rosemont at River & Higgins and heading west. Or Evanston heading up Sheridan. I'm tired of all the red light cameras interfering with Patriot Guard rides, etc. Sundays are great because there are too many things scheduled for Saturdays. DO IT FOR THE KIDS.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

I remember going one unussual year when the temps were in the upper 40's and the attendance was awesomely huge! If it's really all about kids and toys then cut the macho crap and move the date to where more people will attend and the kids will get more toys! I think moving it a month earlier would be a smart move. How about the first Sunday in November? It would still be close enough to Thanksgiving and Christmas to tie in with the Holidays. The weather in early November is ussually much nicer. Like many said, it's not the cold, it's all of the salt and ice! Those that want to prove how tough they are can always go on a New Years day polar bear ride!

MichaelB said...

I agree with the idea for change. Better weather means a safer ride and more riders coming to support a good cause.

Anonymous said...

Absolutely October would be great time. Nothing worse than riding in the snow, sleet and freezing cold.

olestar said...

To get more toys and riders I believe the date should be moved to November the first Sunday or the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Still close enough to feel like Christmas and yet more likely to be better ridding weather. If the City is going to charge for doing next to nothing to help the parade, maybe we just meet in the woods have a party and drop the toys. Everyone should e-mail the TFT people with their wishes about this great event.

Anonymous said...

Get on your bikes and ride! It's for an awsome cause. If can't handle it stay home, but for those that can come out. Just dress warm and ride safe.