33rd annual bikers toy run
Today, December 11th, was the 33rd annual Motorbike Riders Association's Toy Run.
The 57km toy run, from Adelaide to Callington in the hills, is the biggest of its kind in Australia, attracting up to 15,000 riders and collecting tens of thousands of gifts for the St Vincent de Paul Society.
These will be distributed to needy families at Christmas and other occasions during the next year.
A plea was put out this year (not sure where I heard it..), for more gifts suitable for teenagers, as there are always enough donations of kiddie toys, while the teens often miss out. Next year I plan on donating a teen toy.
Traditionally leaving from Glenelg, it was decided this year to move the starting point to Victoria Park, to minimise bike group breakups due to traffic lights.
I heard on the news last night, Channel 9, that 16,000 bikes took part this year.
I stood on the corner of Fullarton Road and Glen Osmond Road, along with many families with their children, and started to take photos.
I lost many opportunities to snap bikes while waiting for the camera to be ready for the next photo, so after a while I switched to video. Something I have never done before!!
The camera only recorded two minutes of film at a time, so I had to keep restarting it, eventually getting 6 two minute videos.
I'm going to put up one photo, then try to put in a video.
I hope it works.
(Ignore the bits at the end of the video, where I still had the shutter button depressed and got bits of footpath etc.)
The Photo, SANTA!!
Many of the riders waved, a lot threw lollies onto the footpaths for kids, several of them were wearing Elmo heads, even more were wearing Santa Suits.
Some of my videos are a little blurry, a little wobbly, I discovered it wasn't easy holding the camera steady while keeping a finger depressed on the shutter.
All of them have bits of footpath or road or nearby roofs at the ends.
(I'll get the hang of it......I'll get better at it).
I remember the first time I heard about the Toy Run, back in 1998, when my older son took part on his motorbike.
He told me about it the day after.....
The next year, 1999, I was at Glenelg to see the beginning of the ride and take photos.
I had an analog camera then and I have no idea where the photos from that day are.
I'm pleased now that I have this digital medium to preserve my photos, especially of such days as this one.
I've had this video uploading for quite a while now, even cancelling at one stage and starting over because it was taking so very long, which I think is a little ridiculous, it's only a two minute film.....but I have to go to work tomorrow, so if it isn't done by midnight, I'll cancel it again.
I need at least a little sleep...
Well, that's it. Midnight and no video.
There'll be another try, but not today.
The 57km toy run, from Adelaide to Callington in the hills, is the biggest of its kind in Australia, attracting up to 15,000 riders and collecting tens of thousands of gifts for the St Vincent de Paul Society.
These will be distributed to needy families at Christmas and other occasions during the next year.
A plea was put out this year (not sure where I heard it..), for more gifts suitable for teenagers, as there are always enough donations of kiddie toys, while the teens often miss out. Next year I plan on donating a teen toy.
Traditionally leaving from Glenelg, it was decided this year to move the starting point to Victoria Park, to minimise bike group breakups due to traffic lights.
I heard on the news last night, Channel 9, that 16,000 bikes took part this year.
I stood on the corner of Fullarton Road and Glen Osmond Road, along with many families with their children, and started to take photos.
I lost many opportunities to snap bikes while waiting for the camera to be ready for the next photo, so after a while I switched to video. Something I have never done before!!
The camera only recorded two minutes of film at a time, so I had to keep restarting it, eventually getting 6 two minute videos.
I'm going to put up one photo, then try to put in a video.
I hope it works.
(Ignore the bits at the end of the video, where I still had the shutter button depressed and got bits of footpath etc.)
Many of the riders waved, a lot threw lollies onto the footpaths for kids, several of them were wearing Elmo heads, even more were wearing Santa Suits.
Some of my videos are a little blurry, a little wobbly, I discovered it wasn't easy holding the camera steady while keeping a finger depressed on the shutter.
All of them have bits of footpath or road or nearby roofs at the ends.
(I'll get the hang of it......I'll get better at it).
I remember the first time I heard about the Toy Run, back in 1998, when my older son took part on his motorbike.
He told me about it the day after.....
The next year, 1999, I was at Glenelg to see the beginning of the ride and take photos.
I had an analog camera then and I have no idea where the photos from that day are.
I'm pleased now that I have this digital medium to preserve my photos, especially of such days as this one.
I've had this video uploading for quite a while now, even cancelling at one stage and starting over because it was taking so very long, which I think is a little ridiculous, it's only a two minute film.....but I have to go to work tomorrow, so if it isn't done by midnight, I'll cancel it again.
I need at least a little sleep...
Well, that's it. Midnight and no video.
There'll be another try, but not today.
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Videos are extremely slow to load...annoying I agree. Your digital camera...does it have a "sports" setting. Mine does which enables you to keep snap snap snapping with no wait for the camera to reset itself. Check your manual. It was a happy day when I found that setting.
ReplyDeleteMagic. And the video I posted yesterday was the first time I ever did so, and it did take a loooooong time (for 35 seconds).
ReplyDeleteDelores; I'll have to check the manual as soon as I can find it. I've got the "quick start" manual, with basic information, but can't find the detailed manual.
ReplyDeleteEC; how long exactly? I tried again this morning. Started the video uploading at 7.15am and had to cancel it at 10.20am so that I wouldn't miss my bus to work.
It's grown much more than you think...all the towns in this area have toy runs now as well and the toys must really be building up with all those riders. Such a great idea thats taken off in a big way...the real Christmas spirit
ReplyDeleteI have trouble with videos too - and tend to use the sports setting when taking pics of events, animals, kids etc.
ReplyDeleteTempo; that's wonderful news! I hope many more towns take up the idea. You'll have to take photos for us next year.
ReplyDeleteKath Lockett; that settles it! I HAVE to find the sports setting.If it's named "sports" that'll be easy, but it may be called something else. "Action" perhaps.