PRIYA SHARMA/Daily Bruin Bob Lhommedieu,
along with fellow members of the Fullerton Chapter H.O.G., brought
truckloads of toys to Mattel’s Children’s Hospital.
By Emily Taylor-Mortorff
Daily Bruin Contributor
Dwayne Freeman, an 18-year-old Mattel’s Children’s
Hospital patient with sickle cell anemia, wheeled his IV drip out
with him to see more than 200 leather-clad motorcyclists pull up to
the hospital.
The bikers ““ members and affiliates of the Southern
California Fullerton Chapter H.O.G., or Harley Owner’s Group
““ brought two truckloads of gifts for sick children who will
most likely spend the holidays in the hospital.
Carrying a helmet in one hand and a teddy bear in the other, the
motorcyclists who came Sunday to the children’s hospital did
not match the classic biker image set forth by such groups as
Hell’s Angels, the Hessians and the Diablos.
“This is not the old style Harley gangs they used to
be,” said David Oakleaf, an American Motorcyclists
Association representative.
Despite the grim images of fire and skulls on their jackets, the
motorcyclists were enthusiastically greeted by the crowd of
children. After assembling into a “love line” to unload
the toys, the motorcyclists spent time talking to and playing with
children like Freeman who were well enough to be outdoors.
Freeman has been in and out of the hospital since he was seven
months old, and has seen almost every motorcycle toy run since it
started 12 years ago.
Though he’s never been able to ride one, Freeman posed on
one of the Harley Davidson motorcycles while a tall, bearded man
with long hair, decked out in a leather vest and cowboy boots, took
a Polaroid picture for him to show family and friends.
The motorcyclists made their way from the drop-off area into the
hospital to visit those too sick to come outdoors. They brought one
of the classic Harleys with them so the kids could share in the
festivities.
Several young children in hospital gowns, attached to machines
and IVs, took turns being lifted onto the bike and having their
pictures taken with the motorcyclists.
The hospital received enough gifts Sunday to last the whole
year, according to Cathy L. Robinson, a Mattel’s
Children’s Hospital employee.
Each child in the hospital received one toy Sunday, along with
teddy bears, hugs and Polaroid pictures of themselves on a
motorcycle.
The Memorial Toy Run was organized by Joyce Chance, whose son,
Johnnie Baker, was hospitalized at the UCLA Medical Center when he
was 4. After two years of fighting, Johnnie lost his life to kidney
cancer at age six.
Shortly after, Chance and husband Cliff organized the ride in
memory of their son and for all the children whose lives are
confined to the inside of a hospital room.
Patients at the hospital stay anywhere from one day to six
months, according to Edward R.B. McCabe, physician in chief at the
Mattel’s Children’s Hospital. And some, like Johnnie
Baker, will die in the hospital.
For Bob Lhommedieu, a member of the Fullerton Chapter H.O.G.,
Sunday’s visit marked the second year he has participated in
the event.
The Sunday riders were composed of several independent groups
who join together for special events such as the toy run. The Choir
Boys, police officers with soft spots for charity and motorcycles,
were one such group.
A.J. Carmody, vice president of the Choir Boys, worked with
Richard Gomez, president of Toys for Joy, to orchestrate the
donation of more than 500 toys.
In addition to the toys they brought Sunday, the Southern
California Fullerton Chapter H.O.G. distributed 50 Thanksgiving
dinners to needy families in the Fullerton area Saturday. They will
participate in several other charity events this year.