HISTORY OF THE TOY RUN

The Toy Run was started in 1983 in a joint effort between the Italian Motorcycle Owners Club (IMOC) Johannesburg and IMOC Cape Town.  76 motorcycles attended, and the toys were handed over to St Michael’s Home in Plumstead.  The collection of toys went on to become an annual event, and from these small beginnings, the event has grown through the years. 

14 years later, in January 1997, the IMOC Charity Toy Run Trust was registered by 6 members of the Italian Motorcycle Owners Club and became a registered PBO and NPO.  Rodney Ford was the Chairman at that time.  Many will remember him leading the Cape Town Toy Run on his big white ex-traffic police Harley Davidson motorcycle! Rodney stood as Chairman for many years until Glynis Coetzee took over the reins from 2014 to 2025.

Currently, thousands of bikers at 23 locations all over Southern Africa gather for the annual Toy Run – one of the world’s biggest motorcycle charity events! 

In Cape Town alone, over the last 42 years, over 600 000 toys have been collected, and many thousands of underprivileged children have received the gift of a precious toy!