No big run but bikers brave snow with gifts for Yorkhill Hospital

The snow and ice that put a spectacular 200-strong Christmas motorbike gift run to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children on the skids,  failed to deter more than three dozen warm hearts who arrived at Yorkhill with a huge haul of gifts.
This year’s festive convoy by bikers from across the Central Belt promised a cavalcade of roaring machines, fancy dress, Santa Claus outfits, tinsel, flags, collection buckets, and loads of presents for the youngsters at the hospital.
However, while the cold snap put paid to the big run, some of the generous bikers were determined to defy the weather and get to Yorkhill with their presents.
Run organiser Ron Deacon, who left his BMW snowed in at home in Milton of Campsie, said: ‘It’s a big event and it’s disappointing that it has ended in this sort of size. We were trying to make it the big run this year because of the Easter Egg Run being cancelled due to roadworks, so it’s a bigger disappointment because we were trying to make it such a success.
‘Still, it’s encouraging that people came out. We can control a lot of things, but we can’t control the weather and we hope it’ll be kinder to us next year.’
Ron, who has been organising Christmas runs for the past four years and also marshals cycling events, explained that at least one rider who make it to Yorkhill had had a fall backing his bike out of the garage on the icy ground.
‘My car went sideways coming here,’ he added. ‘So you can understand that safety is the first factor in anything that we do.  I told everybody the run was cancelled but these people braved it.
‘The weather could have changed at any point and I wasn’t willing to take that risk . The last thing I want is for something to happen to anybody.’
Events Fundraiser for the Yorkhill Children’s Foundation, Abigail Stein, said: ‘Some people still come even though the big run was cancelled. They’re absolutely diehard. It’s brilliant that they’re here because every penny and present helps.’
Abigail added: ‘Everything gets distributed. All the money goes to buy all the things the Foundation Funds needs from toys and games to medical equipment and research and development.’