charitable

by Kim Everett from https://thegarlandtexan.com The Dallas Harley Owners Group, founded in the mid-1980s, is involved in numerous charitable and fundraising activities. One of the main events is the MotorCops for Kids Toy Run. The owners’ group, the Dallas Harley Davidson dealership and the Garland and Grand Prairie Police Departments work together, with help from the Shriners, to host the event. In conjunction with the toy run, the group holds a quilt raffle and the money from raffle tickets, along with registration fees paid by toy run participants, are donated to Shriners Hospitals for Children – Galveston. Event participants also bring toys that are distributed to local children. The group’s hard work has enabled them to donate $400,000 to the hospital and donate countless toys to children. The late Jerry Patterson and Steve Dye, Grand Prairie police chief, were the two principal founders of the toy run. Patterson, along with his wife, Viola, was involved in getting the charitable programs started. She said that his passion was helping kids. This year’s quilt is the result of 280 hours of work. All of the quilts are made with Harley Davidson bandanas collected from around the world by club members and their friends and families. The design is chosen in February, the quilt is constructed, and the hand-quilting begins in the spring. Julie Steger is the principal designer and constructor. They start early so they can enter their creation in the group quilting category competition at the State Fair of Texas. They have won first place as well as four third-place ribbons. Gloria Barnes, Angela Kennerly, Viola Patterson, Wendy Yeater and Steger are the principle quilters, but a large number of people from all age groups join in the quilting, even if it was just to put in a stitch or two.