ALTUS- The revving of engines, the smell of exhaust and the presence of gifts to be given. Guess who has decided to do it again...

Jimmy Geigle has been working hard to put together the 2nd Annual Independent Toy Run for the Kids. The event will take place at 10 a.m. Dec. 2 at Born Hog Wild, located at 1500 W. Broadway.

“I had people come and tell me the ride went so well, that they wanted me to do it again this year,” he said.

This year participants will have the choice to give gifts to the Salvation Army or the Department of Human Services. Participants will also have the option to bring canned and dry goods in place or in addition to the toys.

There will be a motorcycle parade with police and fire department escorts taking participants on tour of the city. Participants who do not have a motorcycle may drive their own vehicles in the parade, but they will have to remain behind the motorcycles for safety reasons. The vehicles will pull out at about 12:30 p.m. They will be escorted down Broadway, go up Main and then travel to Falcon Rd. and end at the Altus Fire Department, where the gifts and food items will be unloaded.

“We hope to get Santa Clause to ride on the fire truck and lead the parade,” Geigle said.

After every thing is unloaded participants will go to Trader Tom's Tavern for lunch, drinks, music, raffles, auctions and a 50/50 raffle. There will be a Long Distance Rider trophy given to the person who drove the furthest to be there.

Geigle said he decided to do the toy run because he knows what being a kid is like and he wants to give the opportunity for the children in the community to have a good Christmas. He encourages everyone in the community to come out for a good time.

“People should attend because this is a very strong benefit specifically for the Altus Community,” Geigle said. “It's for the underprivileged children in Jackson County.”

Several people in the community have helped with the toy run. Geigle would like to give a special thank you to these businesses and people who helped. They include: Attitudes Ink, Val's, Paula Augusta, United, Trader Tom's Tavern, Born Hog Wild, Autozone, Western Sizzlin, Radio Shack, O'reilly's, Long John Silver's, Dehny's This N' That, Altus Printing, Altus Times, KWHW, KEYB Radio, Altus Motorsports, Carl & Carmen's, Custom Graphics, Dillon Phillips 66, Knox Operations, First State Bank, Stage, Diva's Blings & More, Attitudes Salon & Tanning, Wilmes Ford, Wilmes Chevrolet, Putnam Toyota, J.C. Penney, Rent City, Kincannon Funeral Home, Rexco Drug, Main Street Motors, Sunrise Cafe, The Shop, Robert's Drive Inn, Eagle's Nest Cafe (Olustee), Elk City Honda, Luigi's, Gabriel's (Mangum), Red Rock Cafe (Olustee), Cato's and Zales.

If anyone is interested in making a contribution to the toy run, they should contact: Jimmy Geigle at the Shop, located at 114 E. Pecan; Dusty at Born Hog Wild; or Tom at Traders Tom Tavern.