A blustery November morning couldn’t stop motorcyclists from gathering at Southern Regional High School in Manahawkin on Sunday, Nov. 8 for the 27th annual Motorcycle Toy Run.
Against the backdrop of a vibrant fall palette, riders lined up their bikes, and police officers and fire trucks arrived to support the event. The parking lot was already filling with motorcycles well before the scheduled 12:30 p.m. departure, despite two weather-related postponements that pushed the traditionally early-October ride into November.
“We were worried about pushing it back to November because, obviously, it’s colder,” said Christina Jarin, who organizes the event with her husband, Dennis. “But it’s a beautiful day today.”
The Jarins started the toy run 27 years ago after attending a similar charitable event in Monmouth County and realizing Ocean County had nothing similar. So the first ride was a small gathering in Waretown, where Dennis served as a police officer. As participation grew, the couple enlisted their church’s support and expanded the event to benefit families in surrounding communities.
Over the years, the toy run has drawn hundreds of motorcyclists from across the region. At its peak before the pandemic, more than 800 motorcycles and approximately 1,200 people participated.
“It took 45 minutes to empty this parking lot,” Christina recalled. “It was huge.”
Stafford Township Volunteer Fire Co. displays the giant American flag.
While participation has settled below those record numbers since COVID, the generosity hasn’t gone anywhere. Riders frequently arrive with more than the single unwrapped toy requested for admission, and the event typically collects around 1,000 toys for children and families in need.
“People are not just bringing one toy. They’re bringing several toys,” Christina said. “They’re very generous.”
The holiday spirit of generosity is infectious. Longtime supporters like the Chrome Angelz RC International, an all-women’s motorcycle organization whose members traveled from Delaware and across New Jersey for the ride, return year after year. Among them was the organization’s founder and international president, Annamarie Sesta, dressed in red and busy fastening decorations to her matching motorcycle ahead of the procession.
Sesta, 68, has ridden motorcycles for 30 years and participated in the toy run for about 11. The Chrome Angelz have become a familiar part of the procession, accompanying Santa and Mrs. Claus near the front of the police-escorted ride.
For some riders, comfort and style mean including pets and donning festive garb.
“I just wanted the freedom,” Sesta said of what first inspired her to ride at age 38.
And that freedom has taken her across the country and even to international chapters in India and Mexico. But the local toy run offers something more than self-discovery.
“We encourage our chapters to give back to the communities that they’re from,” she said. “So here we are giving back.”
The approximately 65-mile ride wound through Pine Barrens roads before concluding at St. Mary’s Parish Center in Manahawkin, where participants celebrated together for a meal and some laughs.
For the Jarins and the riders who keep coming back, the event has grown far beyond the small Waretown fundraiser that started it all 27 years ago. And despite a few false starts this fall, the tradition rolls on.
