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Hundreds of motorcyclists to rev in the Christmas spirit

 

POLK COUNTY—On Saturday, November 30, hundreds of motorcyclists will cruise through the area as they participate in the 22nd annual Polk County Toy Run. The annual event raises money and collects toys to benefit underprivileged children in the area, providing gifts, Christmas dinners, and more during the holiday season.

The toy run will kick off at Tryon Arts and Craft School, where cyclists can register to participate in the parade, enjoy a barbecue lunch, purchase the all-new 2024 Polk County Toy Run t-shirt, and win unique prizes. 

Registration will take place from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with the parade kicking off at 2 p.m. The cost to register is a donation of $10 per bike or a new, unwrapped toy.

In previous years, the parade would travel up Highway 176 to Saluda before turning around at Saluda Fire Department to travel back down 176 and through downtown Tryon. The parade would then cruise Highway 14 through downtown Landrum before reaching Highway 9 in Green Creek. It continued on Highway 9 until reaching Highway 108 in Mill Spring. The parade would finish its route by traveling down 108 before reaching the Polk County Courthouse in Columbus. Due to Tropical Storm Helene, the Highway 176 portion of the route has been removed. 

The parade will be escorted by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for the entirety of the route. 

Organizers say that the column of bikers each year is approximately 10 miles long and travels about 40 miles per hour in offset two by two fashion. Polk County Sheriff’s Office encourages the community to be safe and courteous when encountering cyclists and to use caution when approaching the parade.

The final destination for the cyclists will be the Polk County Courthouse. The public is invited to cheer them on as they arrive a few hours after the parade starts and be the first to witness all the toys and holiday spirit as they hand off donations to Santa Claus. The gifts will be displayed on the courthouse lawn before being distributed to charity organizations.

Tryon Arts and Craft School is located at 373 Harmon Field Rd.