By Donnie Reese

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The 19th Street Charities hosted a poker run on November 19th at the Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) Branch 290. The event was promoted by the Son’s of the Beaches (SOB’s). There were over 100 bikes in attendance even though the morning started out a little on the cool side. After having a nice breakfast, the riders headed out for their 4-stop journey. The riders then returned to the FRA where Highway Jones provided live music and Richard O’Reilly dished out a fine BBQ dinner. There were several raffles and a silent auction as well.

The 5th Annual 19th Street Charities Toys for Tots escort ride was held on Dec. 3 The ride was escorted by the Florida State Police, Jacksonville Sheriffs Office and the Jacksonville Beach Police. A total of 191 bikes participated in the ride that escorted members of the USMC Bravo Company 4 to the Jacksonville Beach Pavilion to pick up toys donated by the 501c non-profit organization. The Marines had to make 2 trips to pick up all the donations. Riders included The Son’s of the Beaches, American Legion Riders from several chapters, Veteran Enforcers Motorcycle Association and many other big hearted bikers. This year’s donation, valued at over $22,000 will provide assistance to over 200 families with gifts for children. Last year the 19th Street Charities donation was the second largest in this area to Toys 4 Tots, the Jacksonville Jaguars were the largest.