Sixth District Councilmember Dee Andrews and other local organizations will be host the 4th annual Popeye’s Toy Run on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 11am to 3pm, at Martin Luther King Jr., Park, 1950 Lemon Ave. The event is being organized in conjunction with: the Beach City Foundation; CF Dance Academy; Long Beach Unified School District’s Child Development Center; City of Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation & Marine; Boys & Girls Club of Long Beach; Mary Butler Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School; City of Long Beach Department of Health & Human Services; and Helpline Youth Counseling, Inc.
Several motorcycle clubs from Long Beach and the surrounding communities will gather to spread the cheer of the holidays for children in the 6th district of Long Beach. The motorcyclists, which consist of off-duty Sheriffs Department and Los Angles County employees, will meet at 10am at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, off of Shoreline Drive, and will be traveling northbound on Alamitos Avenue to their destination at Martin Luther King Jr., Park, 1950 Lemon Ave.
There they will pass out more than 300 toys to the youth of the Midtown area for the holiday season. Free entertainment, games, crafts, and bike raffles will also be provided. “It’s truly a blessing to have these bikers coming together for our kids because this may be the only Christmas gifts that these children will get this year,” Andrews said. “You can really tell that the bikers are pouring their hearts and souls into this to make sure our youth keep smiling.”
Ann Matulin, secretary of the all-female Just Us motorcycle club, said, “My husband, Mark ‘Popeye’ Matulin, loved making people happy and fulfilled. In honor of his memory, we bring gifts to children who might not be able to get something this year. Last year we provided over 600 children with toys, meals and fun activities.”
