BY GINNY RHODES

A local motorcycle club is revving up for its fourth year of helping bring Christmas to McDowell County children.

The Ghost Riders of McDowell County hold a Toy Run every year, and work months ahead with raising money to support buying Christmas presents for local children. Last year, the club raised almost $12,000 and helped 181 kids. This year they hope to beat that goal.

“Each year we want to help more and more,” said club member Jeff “Q Ball” Scott. “We couldn’t do anything without the community’s help. It’s all from the heart. This is our community, and we want to do anything we can to help it out.”

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If you want to help, the Ghost Riders are set up at Walmart each Saturday through November from noon to 6 p.m. soliciting donations from the public, and showing off their rides.

“This is all community supported,” said Scott. “Everything we collect stays in the county and goes to the kids. This year, Grace Community Church is helping us and they also are taking donations by gifts or cash. Businesses donate anything from door prizes to gift certificates to cash. Anyone that wants to help can help.”

This year’s Toy Run will be on Saturday, Dec. 7 starting at Lloyd’s Steaks on U.S. 221 South and ending at Grace Community Church. Registration begins at 10 a.m. and kickstands will be up at noon.

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“Any one that wants to come out and ride is more than welcome,” said Scott. “We are a family club. Our goal is to help anyone we can. Just to see a kid smile means so much to us. That’s our goal. Some families have nothing and they need all the help they can get. If we stay together and help each other out we will get stronger and stronger.”

After the Toy Run, kids will be invited to Shop with a Biker.

“We will take the families to the shopping center and assign a person from the club and they will pick out the gifts their child likes,” said Scott. “They will come back to the church and wrap the gift themselves for the child.”

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Anyone who needs assistance from 0 to 18 years old and is a McDowell County resident is eligible. Contact Grace Community Church for more information. A dinner will also be held at Highway 55 on Monday, Nov. 4 from 4-10 p.m. and proceeds will go toward the toy run. FATZ is hosting a pancake breakfast for the toy run On Saturday, Nov. 16 from 8-10 a.m. For more information, call Jeff Scott “Q Ball” at 828-785-8436.