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| 1999 Gold Country Toy Run | Short Cuts | ||||
| Randy Burleson |
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| Just one row of all the seasonally-decorated 4x4s that carried toys for kids in need. Kammy Caruss Burleson |
The 1999 12th Annual Gold Country Toy Run was another rousing success! With unseasonably warm t-shirt weather in mid-December, the turnout was great. More than a hundred vehicles and four hundred four-wheelers got together to raise money and collect toys for Sacramento-area charitable organizations.
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| Donated toys piled high at the toy run. Kammy Caruss Burleson |
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The proceeds from last year's raffle went toward purchasing a hundred sleeping bags for the kids. The healthy haul of donated toys spread out over a huge chunk of parking lot -- the bicycles, Barbies, and Beanie Babies almost crowded Santa right out of his big white chair. The pile of toys easily surpassed the 500 toys collected last year.
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| Santa pets an odd-looking reindeer. Kammy Caruss Burleson |
Luckily, the kids in the crowd were willing to work around the jumble of toys to get to the big fellah in the red velvet suit. He had a healthy supply of candy canes, and I think I saw him hanging out with the Rough and Ready Jeep Club, hobnobbing to the tunes of Christmas.
A bunch of the rigs were decorated for the season -- no small feat, considering the 40mph average speed of the parade, which was more of a tour of the local Sacramento, CA suburbs than your traditional beauty-queen-waving, marching-band-playing, don't-walk-behind-the-horses everyday parade. One of these years we will find a way to parade these vehicles where they can strut ther stuff - in the rocks and dirt.
This year's event was held at the Lake Natomas State Park. California Parks Services discounted admission for 4x4s and SUVs bearing toys.
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| This proud family earned their trophy for decorating their rig. Kammy Caruss Burleson |
A panel of judges chose the three Best-Decorated Vehicles, which ended up being an all-Wrangler sweep:
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| The Rough and Ready Jeep Club won the Best Club Participation Award. Kammy Caruss Burleson |
The award for Best Club Participation went again this year to the Rough and Ready Jeep Club, followed closely by the Capital City Mountain Goats.
This was a great event for a great cause, and CA4WDC's many members and their friends really came through, raising almost two grand from this year's prize drawing -- money that will help purchase even more sleeping bags for next year's kids. The crown prize of the raffle was a Warn M8000, donated by Capital Jeeper's Supply. Other prize donors included: Orangevale Glass, Bronco Parts, Four Wheel Parts Wholesalers, Offroad West, J&W Auto Wreckers, Southern Auto Supply, S&H Four Wheel Drive, Fort Sutter Towing, Bleachers Sportsmans Hall, Central Four Wheel Drive, Auto Parts Headquarters, Two Rivers Upholstery, Made in America/Made in Japan, Sacramento Jeepers, Mrs. Claus, and other individual contributors. The Hi-Landers 4WD Club and Sacramento Jeepers also pitched in prizes for the raffle.
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| Jeep CJs, TJs, and YJs dressed up for the parade... | ||
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| ...but CA4WDC welcomes all brands of rigs. CLICK HERE for plenty of pictures. Kammy Caruss Burleson |
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This is a great example of four-wheelers giving back to their community. The press too frequently shows only isolated instances of yahoos 'wheeling -- but this sort of event, a Toy Run, shows wheelers banding together to help out others. We often pitch in to help each other on the trails, but we need to continue to do things like the Toy Run, that show our good side. CLICK HERE to see the coverage of the sister event in the Los Angeles area, where more CA4WDC members organized a similar event.
I'm betting that next year, this Northern and Central California event will be bigger and better than this year. CLICK HERE for a bunch more pictures.
Special thanks go to the sponsoring club - the Hi-Landers 4WD Club. For more information or to help out with next year's Gold Country Toy Run, contact Darla Quaresma (916) 391-3466 or Jodi Spencer (916) 633-4645.
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