BUZZARDS BAY – For the 17th year in a row, the Chris Wetherbee Annual Memorial Toy Run Sunday brought a commercial truck full of donated toys to the children and families involved with Housing Assistance Corporation.
The yearly ride is meant to raise enough funds and bring in enough donations of toys from riders, who rode from Buzzards Bay to North Falmouth, to supply the less fortunate children of Cape Cod with toys and necessities throughout the year.
Event co-organizer Clarissa Wetherbee said the bikers who take part in the ride are a unique bunch.
“They reach out to the children, the needy, veterans, police officers, first responders,” she said. “Anything that has to do with a good reason to help and a good reason to ride, they’re there.”
She said that the Cape’s homeless do not wish to be in the situations they are in; that many of the children and mothers are escaping abuse situations, or a loss of a job.
The ride was named after Wetherbee’s husband’s former wife, who died from cancer in 2000.
Before the ride was renamed after her in 1999, it had been preceded by a similar event.
In that respect, the ride has taken place for nearly 30 years.
Although Sunday’s weather was questionable, many dozens of riders showed up to raise what Wetherbee’s initial estimates placed at around $3,000, plus the value of the toy donations.
“The community needs to open up: we’re not just doing this for Christmas, we’re doing it for all year-round,” she said.
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