From the outside looking in, the annual Lancaster County Toy Ride may look like just another group of bikers out for a day on the road. But it's more than that. The event seeks to help fund Christmas gifts for children who may not otherwise receive many presents.

The 2023 Lancaster County Toy Ride will be conducted on Saturday, Oct. 14, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will begin and end at American Legion Post 34, 1388 Arcadia Road, Lancaster.

A monetary donation or a donation of a toy with a set minimum value is suggested. All proceeds from the event will go to Lancaster County Toys for Tots.

"Sometimes people just see the (tattoos) and the leather," said Jimmy Emig, the ride director and an elder for the tri-state chapter of Bikers for Christ. "I think some bikers get labeled just by the look. But you can't judge a book by a cover. Open the book. If you do, you're going to see a big heart. It's one big heart on two wheels. That's what a real biker is."

At 1 p.m., kickstands will go up, and the participants in the Lancaster County Toy Ride will hit the road to Columbia, Marietta, Elizabethtown and back again.

"It's a brotherhood," said Emig. "There is nothing bigger than when you're riding along with another biker. You may not know his name, but you know his purpose. It's inspiring. It's coming together for one cause."

That brotherhood is extensive and far-reaching. Between 500 and 1,000 bikers are expected to participate in the Lancaster County Toy Ride.

"It's the biker community," said Emig. "Over half of them who come out are from the Lancaster area. It's motorcycle clubs coming together. This is the biggest ride in our biker community. We average 80 to 100 riding events each year and this is the biggest one put together for a cause. This is the one that everyone circles on their calendars."

Emig said that the Lancaster County chapter of Toys for Tots' operating budget for this year is $80,000. The purpose of the ride is to help provide some of those funds.

"$80,000 is a pretty big number," said Emig. "There's no goal besides trying to help offset the costs for Toys for Tots. I think bikers can lead by example and show what happens when people come together. We need to start coming together."

The Lancaster County Toy Ride was first established 25 years ago. In the past, toys and funds were donated directly to local children in hospitals or children who were homeless.

This year marks the first time that the ride has been associated with Lancaster County Toys for Tots.

"It's almost all the time that we're looking to help out children," said Emig. "When we first started this, we just wanted to help local children have a good Christmas. We're always looking for ways to help more children. We want to keep serving the community as a brotherhood."

To donate to the Lancaster County Toy Ride, email LancasterToyRide@gmail.com or call Emig at 717-575-6338.