For hundreds of kids in Colorado, this holiday season will be spent away from home. But thanks to some heroes riding on two wheels, the kids will not be without those new toys.
For the past 24 years, bikers have brought smiles to the patients at The Children's Hospital just in time for the holidays. Each year thousands of riders load up their bikes with toys for the kids who are spending Christmas away from home.
This year, one rider is adding a new surprise. Dave Russman has spent much of the last month building a sleigh to pull behind his Kawasaki motorcycle.
The sleigh, Dave plans to fill with toys. The kids, he hopes to fill with joy.
"It's tough enough to be in the hospital this time of year and I know with the economy and everything else, anything that any of us can do for the little tikes is well worth it," Russman explained.
The toy run is Sunday, Dec. 6, starting at 11 a.m. Riders wishing to join in the run will meet at the Aurora Sports Park on East Colfax.
Anyone wishing to donate new toys for the cause can take them to local motorcycle dealerships or directly to The Children's Hospital.
For more information on the toy run, visit www.rmhog.org/toyrun.html.
For more information on The Children's Hospital, visit www.thechildrenshospital.org.
The following is a buying guide provided by the hospital.
The Children's Hospital Wish List
To assist you in making decisions about what to provide, here are a few guidelines:
1. Items that we are in need of the most include:
• Toys for infants and toddlers (see list)
• Items for teenagers (see list)
2. Items we cannot accept are:
• Used items
• Items with violent themes
• Bubbles
Toys for Infants and Toddlers
There are many children in the hospital that are in this age group (1 month-3 years). Items that work best are those with few pieces and are easily disinfected (nothing cloth).
Infant Mobiles (Wimmer Ferguson black & white)
Baby gyms/activity centers
Crib side mounted toys (washable) peaceful aquariums
Fisher Price Little People sets, play sets, farm animals furniture, farm garage, castle, medical play etc.
Squeeze toys
Rubber balls - all sizes
Shape sorters
Pounding Toys (pound and ball set, hammering bench)
Books-sound, cardboard, vinyl, pop-up, English and Spanish
Rattles
Light up infant toys
Pop-up Toys
Music box
Teethers
Crib Mirrors
Lullaby & soft music CD
See & Say
Infant Bouncy Seats (vibrating)
Boppy Pillows & Covers
Baby Einstein items
Toddler riding & push toys
Toy phones
Duplo blocks
Strike a ball
Infant dolls: both genders, all ethnicities
Puzzles 10 pieces or less
Stacking toys
Rescue heros
Little Tykes (wagons, push cars, riding toys)
Toy cash register
Play mobile sets
Kitchen sets with plastic food
Infant bead mazes
Teenagers
*No violent games, please*
$25.00 gift cards to Walmart or Target
Adolescent clothing (pajamas for girls, sweat shirts, sweat pants, t-shirts, sports clothing for boys, sweaters, hoodies etc.)
Purses: cute/trendy, over the shoulder, etc.
Arts & Crafts: bead kits, scrap booking kits, fuzzy felt posters, stained glass, fuse beads with peg shapes.
Book sets
Blank journals
Book - adolescent theme, English & Spanish
Video's/DVD's No R rated: English & Spanish
Exercise mats - plastic/vinyl
Models: cars, planes, boats, etc.
Nail polish sets
Cases of Puffs Plus tissues
Klulz Arts & Crafts books
Puzzles 500-1,000 pieces
Games: Othello, Battleship, Trouble, Clue, Connect 4, playing cards, Scrabble, Sorry, Yahtzee, Tri-Ominos, Catch Phrase, Uno, Skip Bo etc.
Magazine subscriptions (Sports Illustrated, Sports Illustrated for kids, fashion, Teen)
Disposable cameras
Video Game Systems Xbox 360 Standard system for TCH in each room
Video Games for X Box 360. E rated only...
Extra controllers for Xbox 360
Handheld Video Game Systems (Gameboy Advance, Nintendo DS Lite, PSP and games)
Headphones for CD players
Portable CD players with AM/FM radio
CD boom boxes/stereos
CD ROM games for computer (educational/
painting programs/entertaining)
Portable DVD players
Polaroid cameras
Polaroid film
Popular pop rock CD's
Digital cameras
One time use cameras
Always Needed
Markers
Colored Pencils
Crayons (8 pack)
Water color paints
Small Lego kits
Play dough
Pony Beads
Sketch pads, word searches, all ages, cross word puzzles
Puzzles 24-500 pieces
Playing cards
Spanish language books and videos
Glue & glue sticks
Scissors
Batteries: C,D,AA,AAA
Search & find books: Where's Waldo, I Spy etc.
Craft kits
Bead kits
Fuzzy Felt Posters
Boxes of tissues
Paint by number art sets
Dover Stained Glass Coloring Books
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