Santa joins Philadelphia motorcycle club to celebrate Christmas in July with toy run
By Madeleine Wright
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PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (KYW) — Sunday is the 27th annual Christmas in July toy run! Santa Claus got on his Harley-Davidson and lead a pack of 500 to 600 motorcyclists to Shriners Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in the city’s Hunting Park neighborhood.
“A lot of the kids down there are suffering from multiple orthopedic issues. They have missing limbs, deformities, broken legs, broken bones — things like that. Shriners Hospital treats children all over the country at no cost or very little cost. So that’s why a day like today helps facilitate their treatment,” said Bill Ciamaichelo, president of the Centurion Motorcycle Club.
The Centurion Motorcycle Club will help drop off $70,000 in donations for the hospital, as well as hundreds of toys for pediatric patients waiting on the sidewalk with their families.
“They love it. Their faces — it’s priceless to see their faces. They’re laughing, smiling and they can’t wait to see some of the motorcycles and Santa Claus when he shows up,” Ciamaichelo added. “It just gives them something to look forward to every year without waiting for actual Christmas, so they do Christmas in July. And it just helps them throughout the year — lifts their spirits a little bit.”
Over the last 27 years, the motorcycle club has raised $700,000 in donations for the hospital.
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