More than 100 members of the Suffolk County “HOG” (Harley Owners Group) made their 6th Annual Holiday Motorcycle Ride to bring toys and cheer to families staying at the Ronald McDonald House in New Hyde Park, NY here today.
The 35-mile motorcycle convoy started with a gathering of the riders at the Suffolk County Harley Davidson in Oakdale, NY where members packed up hundreds of toys and headed west toward Nassau County. The convoy was led by a group of Suffolk County and NYPD motorcycle officers. Riders deckled out their motorcycles with holiday cheer and a three-wheeled motorcycle was decorated like Santa’s sleigh.
“You want to bring some joy to a kid’s life,” said Nick Nigro, organizer of the Harley Owners Group Holiday Ride. “When you walk in and see a kid pick out a toy, it warms your heart. We just want to see the smiles.”
The group travelled along Sunrise Highway and Ocean Parkway, with a scenic view of the beach, before turning north toward the Ronald McDonald House where they unpacked the toys and assembled them in the Great Room of the 42-room Ronald McDonald House. Kids took turns picking out toys and even got a visit from Santa Claus.
“To have these men and women coming to us and bringing hundreds of gifts is amazing,” said Theresa Brucculeri, Board Member at RMHC NYM. “They’re full of love and it shows. It gives the families a sense of hope.”
Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) New York Metro keeps families seeking medical treatment for their sick children near the care they need and the families they love. In addition to operating its Ronald McDonald House in Nassau County, RMHC NYM operates two family rooms located at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital and the Stony Brook Medicine Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. It is currently fundraising to build a companion Ronald McDonald House in Suffolk County.