Delray-based motorcycle club delivers $7,000 in toys and gifts to Home Safe kids
By Dale M. King
WEST PALM BEACH – The Delray Beach-based Alternative Motorcycle Club has two missions.
One is to live and encourage a life without drugs or alcohol. The other is to help abused and abandoned kids during the holiday season.
The 15-member club spent the last year collecting donations for the children at Home Safe Inc., an agency which provides services and finds foster homes for neglected, abused and abandoned kids.
Motorcycle club member Trisha Marini applies face paint.
So, when a crowd of Home Safe kids showed up for their annual Christmas party Dec. 18, they walked into a hall filled with $7,000 worth of toys, gifts and gift cards provided by the motorcycle club. The children enjoyed lunch, met with Santa Claus and left with their gifts – many of them carried by members of the bike group.
“This is the best part of Christmas,” said Steve Stalbaum of Boynton Beach, whose friend is a member of the club. Helping the youngsters, he said, slows the hectic holiday pace and allows them to enjoy it more.
“Radar” Jimmy Saville, a Delray resident and club member, is following in his late father’s footsteps. He said his dad used to gather donations and provide gifts for kids at the holidays as part of the motorcycle club.
Home Safe Marketing Manager Joe Maltese said this year’s collection “marks the fifth straight year” the Alternative Motorcycle Club has given to the Home Safe kids. “The motorcycle group organized the event, which included raising the money to buy gifts for more than 100 kids – and they also secured food and beverages for a holiday party” from Longhorn Steak House.
Due to rainy weather, the event was held inside Home Safe’s West Palm Beach facility. (The agency also has quarters in Boca Raton and Lake Worth).
“It was a monsoon,” said Saville, who rode his cycle through the rain. “I had to pull over.”
Darlene Torres, coordinator of the party, praised the bike group. “They are great. They did everything to make it work.”
Santa Claus was also on hand, giving out gifts and meeting the children.
The Alternative Motorcycle Club website is http://alternativemc.com/about-alternative-mc.html
