Asked the name of his homemade trike creation, Lumby’s Larry Barker said, “It depends.”
Depends on whether or not it starts.
“If it starts, it’s ‘Oh Baby.’ If it doesn’t start, well, it’s one of a handful of blue words you can’t print,” laughed Barker Sunday, Sept. 11, at the Kalamalka Lake Lookout.
He was just one of more than 100 bikers and motorcycles preparing to depart on the 34th annual North Okanagan Motorcycle Toy Run, hosted by the Santas Anonymous Society – and his machine started.
Barker, a retired sawmill welder, created his U-Built Trike with a Ford 289 engine about five or six winters ago, often working on it on weekends.
It’s a nice ride, he said, “like riding an E-Z chair down the highway.”
Barker took part in the toy run after hearing about it just two days before at a Tim Hortons outlet in Vernon.
“Somebody saw my bike and asked me if I was taking part. I said, ‘Where is it?’”
The toy run began at the Lookout and proceeded out Highway 6 to Lumby and Oval Park. The event was held in memory of Santas Anonymous Society founding member Judy Mallett, who died of cancer in 2020.
Mallett’s husband, Rod, dressed as Santa and led the toy run procession.
Society president Perry Wainwright said it was a record toy run, the most successful he’s been involved with.
“We raised $6,000 and received lots of toys for the upcoming Christmas season as well as birthdays,” said Wainwright.
This story was corrected on Oct. 26 to fix the number of annual toy runs. We apologize for the error
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roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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