Christmas 2018: Florida bikers raise money, hand out toys for children

More than 30,000 motorcyclists in South Florida helped raise money for a local hospital during Sunday's 31st annual Toys in the Sun Run, the Sun-Sentinel reported.

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The motorcyclists, some of whom wore Santa suits and elf costumes, rode 24 miles on a rainy morning to help raise money for patients at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Hollywood, WSVN reported. They also handed out toys to thousands of children, the television station reported.

Money also will go to the James Junior Fund in Davie, the Sun-Sentinel reported.

Sections of I-95 and I-595 in Broward County were closed for a few hours to accommodate the bikers, the newspaper reported.

"It's a fun ride," Bruce Sonnenblick, a police officer who has been riding in the parade since 2003, told the Sun-Sentinel. "There's no other time you can ride on 95 and 595 and not have to deal with vehicle traffic. All along the route, you have hundreds of people cheering us on. People get out of their cars to watch us go by."

Rick Case, whose business sponsored the event, said the parade helps benefit the community.

"There's thousands and thousands of motorcycles out here, bringing thousands and thousands of toys for kids in South Florida who may not have gotten one for this holiday season," Case told WSVN. "It's a wonderful thing."

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