About a quarter past noon on Saturday, the rumble of motorcycles could be heard coming down Elm Avenue in Hermiston for the 21st annual Echo Toy Run.
By the time the rumbling died down, more than 80 bikes and close to 200 people made their way from Echo to Good Shepherd Health Care System loaded with gifts for children.
After dismounting and shaking off the rain, they began dropping toys, one by one, into bins outside the hospital entrance before heading inside to warm up with coffee, hot chocolate and food.
“It’s for the kids,” said Rebecca Granados, who took part with her husband, Demetrius. “It’s why we do it.”
This year marked the 21st year of the Echo Toy Run. It was started by Al Sells, who initiated a similar effort in Arizona. After Sells passed away in 2019, his daughter, Amanda Silvani, decided to honor her father by continuing the toy run. She said the toy drive was too important to her dad to let it end.
“Me and my sister were not going to let this go,” Silvani said. “Members of the bike club also got involved and said they wanted to keep it going, too. And, Good Shepherd has been so helpful.”
There is no organized toy drive, Silvani said. Instead, bikers go out on their own and buy toys for the kids.
Marty Brown of Irrigon said no one wants to be in the hospital during the holidays, especially children.
“We want to support the kids who are in need,” Brown said. “It helps if they have something solid to hold onto.”
Brown said he and the bikers were grateful for the efforts of local law enforcement and fire departments to block roads and provide traffic control for their ride from Echo to Hermiston.
“It made it much safer for everyone,” Brown said.
Tracy Hepworth is a veteran of the Echo Toy Drive. She’s been taking part in the event since 2007.
“I got involved when I saw a poster at a café,” Hepworth said. “I asked the owner about it and decided I wanted to take part.”
Cozad said the toys will begin being distributed to children in the hospital today and will continue to give them out until the toys are gone.
Hepworth said Saturday’s cold and rainy weather didn’t put a damper on the day.
“We’ve done this in 13 degrees with snow coming down, so this wasn’t too bad,” she said. Hepworth said she has fond memories of Al Sells.
“Al always worked to make the event special,” Hepworth said. “We’re all really glad Amanda decided to keep it going.”
