Dozens of bikers will roam the city streets to help spread Christmas cheer during the second annual Toys for Tykes II Toy Run next Saturday.

Glen Gilmore coordinates the event every year. He began organizing it last year after members from the original Toys for Tykes Toy Run couldn’t anymore. Gilmore, who participated in previous runs, wanted to keep the event alive in order to continue providing Christmas gifts to needy children in the community.

“The original run was done for around 20 to 30 years. I said ‘we can’t let this die, we need to keep it going,’ and so that’s when I got together with some of the guys from the Confederation of Leathernecks Motorcycle Club of Picayune to help run the event,” Gilmore said.

The run will take place Dec. 5 at 11 a.m. at Friendship Park. Bikers are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy, which will be donated to the Angel Tree Ministries. Coffee and donuts will be available for early arrivals. Once all bikers are gathered at the park, Santa Claus will escort the bikers to the Picayune City Hall for a short program, where they plan to raise the U.S. flag and sing the national anthem. Participants will also be able to donate cash in a Santa hat that will be passed around during the program. All proceeds and toys gathered at the event benefit the ministries.

After the program, bikers will ride to the American Legion Hall, located at 2500 Union School Road, where food and live music will be provided, Gilmore said.

Each year, the Angel Tree Ministries, with the help of the community, provide Christmas gifts to children of incarcerated parents.

Jane Manuel coordinates the angel tree program at First Baptist Church of Carriere. She said in a previous story that they couldn’t make Christmas wishes come true without the community’s help.

“It makes you feel good to help people, and with the church’s and community’s support, we all work together to help those children,” Manuel said.

Gilmore said he got in touch with Manuel last year about partnering to help more children receive Christmas gifts.

“I told her I’d like to keep it going and it made her day. She said, ‘I’ve been praying somebody would do this and I said ‘we’re going to try’,” Gilmore said.

Last year, the run collected nearly $1,000 in cash donations and two-and-a-half pickup truck loads of toys for the ministries.

“We do this all for the kids,” Gilmore said.

No registration fee is required. Gilmore said all people need to do is show up the day of the event and bring a toy or a cash donation.

For more information about the upcoming run, contact Gilmore at 601-798-9540 or visit the event’s Facebook page at Toys for Tykes 2.