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Participants donated 314 toys to the Salvation Army.
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It wasn’t all clean sailing for Stinky Jeep, well it never is.
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A couple well-placed mud holes brought the procession to a halt in a number of locations.
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The winches came out to get the stock runners out of harm’s way.
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Who needs 4WD…. Or doors?
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Ambitious Zuk.
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Fortune favours the bold.
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Fortune doesn’t always favour the bold.
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A helpful tug saved this FJ owner from a chilly swim to shore.
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All makes, models and mods were represented.
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When it doubt, flat out!
Words and photos by Budd Stanley
On an icy morning, with the mercury diving well below 0°C, Editor Irons and I arrived at the meeting location in Stinky Jeep. Tim the Toyota (FJ40) was pulled apart in Irons shop and couldn’t come out and play; Eco Zuk… well let’s not even go there.
The Salvation Army was set up with their trailer, trading toys and cash donations for coffee and hot chocolate, a grateful gift on the cold early morning.
The rigs were coming in by the dozens, with a fantastic mix of genres, including new, old, battered, pristine, stock, six-figure snow wheelers, 2WD, 4WD, imports and domestics. The entire off-roading world was represented, from “just rolled out of the barn” rednecks to snobby overlanders and everyone in between. It was the United Nations General Assembly of Wheelers, however, we weren’t there to solve all the world’s problems, and it didn’t take long for the mingling to start. In all, 392 vehicles answered the call, with many more showing up midday making this the biggest Kelowna Toy Run yet.
The donation table was overflowing with toys and it was time to go wheeling. Tyson and his band of volunteers created a fantastic route once again. A great mix of scenic FSR’s and tricky little technical side trail connections. The technical sections were great fun yet still easy enough for the stock rigs to make it through, while icy ruts made the FSR’s rather sketchy with more than a couple unplanned sideways drifts.
After a couple plug ups at two challenging mud holes, the long precession of wheelers gradually popped out of the forest onto the off-road rec area at Grizzly Lake. With lots of table tops, ridges and a deep ice covered pit, it was a great little play area for those who had to make an early exit, and a safe spot for the wilder ones to party into the night.
When it was all said and done, the Salvation Army raised $3,590 in the kettle and participants donated 314 toys for the kids. Despite a few rigs needing help making it home, the Toy Run continues to be a great success.
This year the organisers will continue the Toy Run tradition and are also going to collect food for the Salvation Army food bank along with toy donations.
Get more incredible images of these winter wheelers in the Readers Rides feature at the end of this issue.
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More from Toy Run
Unfortunately with so many rigs at the Toy Run we weren’t able to attach props to the owners to each of the images.
If you have images about your rig or an event you would like to share email editor@suncruisermedia.com