Psycho Santa toy run benefits kids at Eliada Home

Posted on by Bill Rhodes

Escorted by Asheville Police, the Dec. 17 procession ran for blocks down Patton Avenue. The riders were in and on vehicles ranging in size from a scooter, through a SmartCar, pickup trucks and a luxury coach. Santa in leather waved from the back of a pickup which pulled a 24-foot trailer filled with toys collected at the shop and by the motorcycle club. Board games, bicycles, dolls, cars, trucks and stuffed animals filled the back of the trailer. A wad of cash from other contributors was in the pocket of Daron James, owner of Diamond Thieves.

As the convoy drove up the Eliada driveway, kids looked out windows, waiting to see the toys. A group of kids outside the dining hall and gym building jumped up and down with excitement at the sight of santa and the motorcycles. One, sporting a Santa hat, let out loud whoops of joy.

Making a human chain to pass the toys from the trailer to the gym, volunteers passed toys from hand to hand up the sidewalk. The pile in the gym grew as the trailer emptied. “I think we passed our goal of $10,000,” James said. “This is great. I think I must have some dust in my eye … or something.”

Click here for a slideshow of the event.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

2 thoughts on “Psycho Santa toy run benefits kids at Eliada Home”

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.