28 Jan 2010 Bikers make toy run

In its eighth year, the event provides a variety of toys for children who are patients in the pediatrics unit at Conway Regional Health System. This year, several hundred toys were collected.

The run is no longer for motorcycles only. Individuals are invited to drive cars or trucks. The only requirement is to bring a new, unwrapped toy for a child or youth 3 to 16 years of age.

“We greatly appreciate the motorcycle groups’ efforts to bring some cheer to our patients,” said Jo Lynne Gasaway , RN, nursing director of the pediatrics unit. “They have been very generous in organizing the Toy Run.”

Steve “Painter” Polk, an organizer of the event, said the Toy Run provides an opportunity to give back to the community. “This is to ensure that a child gets a toy to take home when coming into Conway Regional. It’s to help lower the child’s stress level,” he said. “We’ve had several parents donate toys because what we did last year helped their children.”