Story and Photos by David Maung
TIJUANA, MEXICO
— A chill wind and threat of rain throughout the region wasn’t enough to deter the approximately 1000 leather-jacketed motorcycle riders from participating in the 24th Tijuana Toy Run, where they donated thousands of gifts for children in Tijuana, Mexico.
Like a stampede of metal horses the caravan of riders, the vast majority saddling Harley-Davidson motorcycles, drew awe from motorists and pedestrians as they traveled the 20-mile route from their starting point in National City, California, to across the U.S.-Mexico border, where they rumbled noisily to neighboring Tijuana, Mexico. Once in Tijuana the group was joined by a large contingent of riders from Mexico.
A large crowd of people gathered along the five block stretch of Tijuana’s Revolution Avenue to view the spectacle and take photographs of themselves next to custom Harley-Davidson motorcycles, many with toys strapped to the handlebars.
Several stages with piles of toys were in place along the street and thousands of children with their parents stood in lines to receive the gifts. The emblematic song “Born to be Wild” blared from a sound system on one stage and a rock group on another kept visitors entertained as they wandered among the groups of bikers chatting during a large reunion.
The annual event is organized by the Sweetwater Harley-Davidson dealership in National City, California, and the Sólo Angeles motorcycle club in Tijuana, Mexico, and provides thousands of toys donated by the bikers. Funds raised by organizers were spent to buy bicycles, which were raffled to the crowd.
Gabriel Gonzalez, 55, recalls how he and a few others in the Sólo Angeles motorcycle club began the tradition when they decided to bring a few toys to a Tijuana orphanage.
“We were 15 bikers, there were 15 toys and there were 30 kids,” recalls Gonzalez, a truck driver who has ridden motorcycles for more than 35 years. “We gave them the toys and the kids who didn’t get anything were left crying. We said ‘well, we’ll make this grow for the following year.’ And the following year we were 50 bikers and there were just 35 kids. It was a really nice event and since then has grown a lot.”
A few years later the Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealership in National City became involved and the event took on larger than life proportions. Word spread and bikers began to come from many parts of California, Nevada and other places in the U.S., as well as throughout Baja California. In recent years, upward of 4000 to 5000 bikers often would make the ride.
The sight of hundreds of rough talking, bearded bikers sporting tattoos and leather jackets covered with patches and names of clubs such as Los Vikingos, Los Renegados and Los Vagos isn’t necessarily associated with good natured philanthropy.
However, many riders at today’s toy give away expressed pride at being able to help people in need and change the negative image associated with bikers.
“We want to let people know that we’re not just a bunch of riders but that we really take things seriously and do things in the right way,” Gabriel Hernandez, 44, a member of Sólo Angeles and rider since he was 12 years old.
“Back in the 1970s bikers used to ride along and give a bad impression to the community,” said Hernandez. “Well, today it’s completely different, there’s a new image we want to convey to people on both sides of the border. We want to do something for the community and in this case we’re doing something for the kids.”
Fernando Martha, who belongs to the Knights motorcycle club in Tijuana, also feels that the image of the biker is changing. Martha, a machinist, explains that many bikers are working people with family lives and responsibilities.
Members of his group, who are planning an event to help children with HIV/AIDS, is part of a growing movement of biker clubs adopting new attitudes and civic responsibilities.
“We want to let the public know that we’re people you can trust. The mentality of the biker, that of a low life drug addict, well it’s very, very rare you run into bikers like that,” said Martha.
“You’re going to find engineers, doctors, business owners and also workers. What does this mean? It means that people are low lifers,” said Martha. “It’s people that you know you can trust and who are able to help.”