Santa Claus doesn’t just travel by sleigh.
Amanda Hill says there isn’t much that can match the feeling she gets every holiday season when she sees a child’s face light up at the gifts she and her friends have brought.
“It’s one of my absolute favorite things,” she said.
Hill is a co-founder of the Hahnville-based Vicious Ryderz Motorcycle Club, which for the past three years has “adopted” families who are dealing with hardships for Christmas. Once the families are chosen, the club gathers toys, loads them onto the bikes and into trucks, and makes a delivery run – with jolly Santa himself along for the ride.
“We have a blast doing it,” Hill said.
Each year, the club asks for nominations of families who might be in need or a helping hand for the holidays – it asks for each family’s story, the ages of the children, clothing and shoe sizes – and has selected at least two every year for adoption.
In 2021, the Ryderz adopted a family with a teen battling cancer and going through chemotherapy, and another family that had dealt with massive damage to their home by Hurricane Ida.
In each case, it can be difficult for a family to part with the funds necessary to buy Christmas presents, as the money is needed for more immediate needs.
In each case, it can be difficult for a family to part with the funds necessary to buy Christmas presents, as the money is needed for more immediate needs.
That’s the gap the Ryders hope to bridge – and ride over to offer a helping hand.
“It’s something to look forward to every Christmas,” Hill said. “We try to bring something for the entire family – gifts for the kids, but also something for a single mom, or something mom and dad might need, whatever it may be. The kids are able to take pictures with Santa. It’s a lot of fun.”
There was another year the Ryderz adopted an entire Army Reserve Unit that had recently returned from Iraq.
“All the kids in the squadron got toys and a few other things,” Hill said.
The club asks for toy donations each year, usually taking drop offs on the club’s weekly bike night. Each member of the club also purchases a gift for the giveaway.
Hill said that while the Ryderz are a group brought together by the common interest of riding, a desire to give back to the community is another shared goal by the club members. In addition to the Christmas giveaway, it also organizes the Glam 4 Good collection drive and giveaway, focusing on gathering donations of lightly worn prom attire and bridesmaids dresses to give to students in need of an assist.
“We do these things all year long,” Hill said. “You know, this club is in St. Charles Parish and a lot of us live here … we have neighbors by our clubhouse and they have to hear our motorcycles. We know it can be loud. But we’re not here to do harm, we want to help, and we’re just a club that likes to ride and do charity. That’s all we do.”
Anyone who would like to donate toys can do so each Monday after 6 p.m. at the Ryderz clubhouse the Venom Pit, located at 15661 River Road in Hahnville.
