Simple rules and protocol for parade day.
Only street
legal motorcycles licensed and all riders insured accordingly. Note:
Only street legal motorcycles, no ATV’s or Quad Runners.We
have had up to 40,000 motorcycles delivering toys to the USMC 2nd
Battalion 24th Marine Division .We need your help to
proceed safely thru the City of Chicago on parade day
Line up starts at
6:00 am at Dan Ryan Woods located at 83RD & Western
Avenue. Parade start is tentatively at 9:30 am from the woods.
If there is a large turnout it can start as early as 9:00 am and may
last up to five hours. We generally try to depart as close as 9:30
am but depending upon the turnout we can leave earlier when traffic
is not as intense throughout Chicago. Do not wait until the last
minute to leave your house and tailgate into the end of the parade.
Once the parade starts do not pull into the parade sections while
they move northbound. We can only patrol those that line up at Dan
Ryan Woods. Logistically, the timing and patrolling to accommodate
the CTA and other City Services is based upon those lining up at the
woods. We cannot gauge the sizing of the parade sections if
motorcycle groups intercede along the route. It is also unsafe. So
again arrive early and start at the woods. Between each section we
will have an interval to allow for cross traffic. These breaks or
intervals can be anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes before another
section departs from the Woods. There can be up to five sections.
This gives the CTA and the City the time needed to avoid traffic
tie-ups that can gridlock the neighborhoods we pass through.
Note: On the day of
the parade when you see thousands of balloons disbursed in honor of
our POW’S and MIA’S, it also means the first section is schedule to
depart from the woods. So please proceed to make sure you are near
your bike. Our volunteers will start movement in the woods in a
circular fashion for parade positioning of each section. This
allows us to bring more bikes in off Western Avenue. So we need
you by your bikes after the balloon send off. Please respect any
and all directive orders from our Toys for Tots volunteers. They all
will be wearing safety vests that identify them as parade workers.
They are in communication with others to make this parade safe and
as fun as possible to assist the massive delivery of toys, via our
motorcycles to the USMC Marine Corps that day.
For those who will
not be riding in the parade but wish to drop of a toy on the day of
the parade, there will be express toy drops set up at the beginning
and end of the parade. The drop off at the start will be on 87th
street just east of Western. The drop off at the end will be at the
entrance to the Marine Reserve Center. If you do not plan to
participate that day via your motorcycle, please re-route to avoid
traffic delays. If you plan to come and see Santa and his elves lead
the Parade on their White Harley's please do so. Bring the kids and
cheer on the motorcycle riders by patriotically waving American and
Military flags along the route. Do not forget once the first section
comes by there can be up to four sections to follow. A Chicago
Police squad and a military vehicle and or fire trucks will lead
each section and a military vehicle usually ends each section. So be
patient that day and be understanding. Again the parade can last up
to five hours, so cheered them on for helping kids in need.
What to do at
the end
After you enter
the Marine Reserves off Foster Avenue, you have a choice of parking,
express toy drop off or exit. If you are planning on parking
(Recommended), stay to the right and follow the Toys for Tots
flaggers into the designated parking areas. If you don't want to
park, stay to the left. This will bring you to the express toy drop
and exit. If you are exiting, stay to the right as you approach the
exit/toy drop. You will be exiting onto Kedzie Avenue and you can
go north (right) or south (left).
Enjoy the
parade
We want to be safe in
our mission to make sure: Every Needy Child has a Brand New Toy
at Christmas.
Additional
information.
Once again after the
parade some TFT volunteers will be gathering at our headquarters at
Stempiens VFW Post located at 4235 West 47th Street. So
if you do not make the parade you may drop off toys their from 4 pm
until 9pm.Also new for this year all the KB Toy stores in the
Chicagoland area are official toy drop offs for the Motorcycle
Parade Toys for Tots program. You may also visit our web site for
listings of other drop off locations. Visit:
www.ChicagolandTFT.org Lastly any remaining Toys for Tots 30th
anniversary product left after the parade will be available at the
Westfield Chicago Ridge mall on Saturday 12/15 and Sunday 12/16.
Thank you for your
patience and understanding for this our 30th Anniversary
December 2,2007.
Sincerely,
Robert Cooch Kuczera
President Chicagoland
Toys for Tots Motorcycle Parade Organization and Volunteers.
