Dec 25 2008
Biker Spirit of Christmas
The Christmas spirit is well and truly still in existence, and in abundance. Each year comes stories of miracles, generosity and open heartedness. This year is no different.
On a recent trip to Hawaii, I was sitting on the beach and heard a thundering sound. Not sure what it was, naturally I was curious – even more so when I saw that a large group of motorcycles (sports bikes and cruisers alike) were thundering down the main street of Waikiki.
It turns out this ‘large group’ was actually 3,940 motorbikes taking part in the annual “Toys for Tots” Christmas appeal. This event is organised by the Marine Corp based on Hawaii, and part of the event is this parade. Every bike that takes part must carry a toy, and some do more than just that. Some bikes were ridden by the Grinch, others had massive toys strapped to their backs, and some had their four legged friends dressed up, complete with goggles, just sitting in a basket attached to the bike. It was a fantastic sight.
This year’s parade had planned for 4,500 bikes, and shut down 5 miles of road from the Ala Moana Beach Park, through downtown Waikiki, to the Kapiolani Community Centre near the base of Diamond Head. I stood there and watched the whole parade, as did many other tourists. It took about an hour for all the bikes to pass.
From a photographic point of view, it was an interesting exercise in panning – I’ve never tried it at such close range before. These bikes were only about 2 metres away from me. Still, it kind of worked…
It’s nice to see that a group considered so ‘tough’ could still be warm hearted enough to dress up and carry a toy for charity.
