A large procession of motorcyclists will travel from Medway to the Clark County Fairgrounds on Oct. 21, carrying toys for the Salvation Army for the annual Highway Hikers Toy Run.

The biker run is one of several toy collection events planned for the next month to benefit local parents seeking assistance for Christmas presents.

“We help people more than just with the basic food, clothing and shelter,” said Capt. Steven Carroll of the Springfield Chapter of the Salvation Army. “When we support kids with toys, we’re helping with something that’s a little bit more intangible … helping mom and dad to be able to give their kids something special that Christmas even though it may be a particularly hard year.”

Last year, the bike run attracted 1,500 bikers, each bringing at least one new toy or a $10 donation, bringing in almost 2,000 toys in a single day. The event started when the past president of the Highway Hikers Motorcycle Club approached the Salvation Army about helping children in the community, said Carroll.

Club member Corey Clippinger, known within the group as Bling Bling, said he has been participating in the toy run for 10 years and has seen it grow from 700 bikers to almost 1,600 bikers.

“We do it for the kids and the community of Clark County,” said Clippinger. “It’s the biker community out there that helps keep it going.”

The Salvation Army makes sure that kids who get toys from the organization doesn’t know where they came from, but that doesn’t keep parents from coming in to show their appreciation, said Carroll.

“Every year there’s one or two stories that really stand out,” he said. “Often they’ve never had to come to get this kind of help before, but because someone passed away or someone was laid off … they didn’t know where to turn or how they were going to make it happen, and they did and they’re so grateful.”

The Salvation Army also has a family adoption program and an angel tree program for supporting individual children during the holidays, but the Salvation Army still runs short of toys every year, especially teenage gifts, said Carroll.

“That’s what drives me, to make sure the kids have something, because I grew up with getting nothing sometimes and other times there were things, but not what you wanted,” said Clippinger. “That’s what drives me and my brothers.”

The toy run will start at VFW Post 9684 at 1587 Lake Road in Medway at 1 p.m. and will end at the Clark County Fairgrounds. After the run, participants are welcomed to join club members at the Highway Hikers Club House on Lake Road.

People line up on the route each year to watch the bikers go by, said Carroll. Participants should bring one or more new toys or $10.

“You see people out there in lawn chairs decked out and ready to go, like any other parade that goes on, only this one’s all bikers,” said Carroll. “That Sunday afternoon at the fairgrounds, it’s just a sea of leather. It’s really a sight to see.”