Every year, C. Oregon bikers tough as teddy bears

Bikers packed up and hit the road to five Central Oregon hospitals on Saturday, making their annual Santa-like delivery of dozens of stuffed animals to the emergency rooms for kids who need something soft, plush and furry to hold in troubled times.

The “gang” met up at Northside Bar and Grill on Boyd Acres Road to gather donations, buy raffle tickets or purchase T-shirts for this year’s Teddy Bear Run.

Jim Windolf from the Oregon Veteran Motorcyclists Association started Central Oregon’s chapter of ABATE (A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments) 30 years ago.

ABATE is a non-profit organization that promotes motorcycle awareness, education and safety.

And it’s pretty clear why these “tough,” soft-hearted bikers do it every year.

“The kids — they’re are our next generation, and we try to support them, especially now, these poor kids in the hospitals,” Windolf said Saturday. “They’re fighting a bigger battle than we’ll ever fight, and we need to help them.”

The bikers carried in, then lined up the stuffed animals in the waiting area for the kids.

At St. Charles Bend, Dr. Katie Richards said this was double the turnout of last year.

“I think its super fun to see these really tough folks come through with all their leathers, but they all have huge smiles on their face, and they have these cute, cuddly teddy bears,” Richards said, adding that “one of them even had this little dog came in carrying a teddy bear.”

Richards says her son received a teddy bear from the group a few years back when he was in the hospital, and it put a huge smile on his face.

It was a great turnout that will for sure put smiles on the faces of kids in the hospital for months to come.

You can learn more about Central Oregon ABATE at their Facebook page.