It’s #GivingSeason: The 5th Annual Buffalo Mountain ATV Christmas Ride
For the past 5 years, Jeff and Anita Davis, the owners and founders of Sport Outfitters, LLC in Williamson, have brought their annual Christmas ride to folks throughout the area. This event was inspired by a church Anita and Jeff attended previously, which brought out a trailer made up like a sleigh to give out presents to folks in the community. When that church closed, the event stopped, but when the pair opened Sport Outfitters, they saw an opportunity to bring back the spirit of the event. “I quickly saw what an amazing heart the ATV community had, and started thinking about the need that the toy giveaway filled,” Jeff said.
All the Toys You Can Imagine…And Then Some!
Years later, this event has continued to grow, thanks to the help of local businesses and riders. “The ATV community donated new toys and clothes, and the last couple of years we’ve also been able to put together household baskets filled with toiletries, toilet paper, and paper towels,” Jeff says. “Local businesses in the area are so generous with their donations each year.”
The ongoing success of the event is in part thanks to other contributing businesses, like Mudlove Off-Road, and ORO-Fab, who Jeff says are “phenomenal!” Offroad Outlaws, or ORO-Fab, is a North-Carolina based specialty shop who has been involved with the event for some time. “We enjoy giving back to our communities as we can, and we felt a calling to help the kids and communities up there as well,” says Laurie Hunt with ORO-Fab. Laurie and others with ORO-Fab have ridden in WV frequently and love riding our trails. “It’s been a blessing for us, and to the families and Children of Williamson.”
“A Beautiful and Fun Way To Put Smiles on Deserving Faces”
The folks with Mudlove Offroad feel similarly, even though this will only be their second year participating. “After the first time, we said we’d never miss it. This event is a beautiful and fun way to put some smiles on some deserving faces for the holidays.”
The Christmas ride route changes things up every year, but they always hit the local assisted housing communities with their parade of ATVs. The ride often features more than 20 off-road machines, along with TOY trailers, lights, music, and, yes, Santa himself. The parade is also accompanied by a police and fire escort, complete with lights and sirens so the kids know they’re on their way. “They’re usually looking for us this time of year,” Laurie says.
“Indescribable Joy”
Resoundingly, the best thing about the event is getting to see the kids’ joy. “Our favorite thing about this event is seeing all the children’s smiles as they’re told they can choose anything they want,” Laurie says. “The joy we feel in our hearts is indescribable, and we consider it a privilege.” The folks at Mudlove echo this sentiment, describing their favorite part of the event as “seeing those little faces light up.”
The 5th Annual Buffalo Mountain ATV Christmas Ride will be Saturday, December 16, and it will start at the HMT parking lot behind Wilson Eyecare in downtown Williamson at 6pm. To keep yourself updated on this event, be sure to check out the Facebook event page, and share with all your offroading friends!
All photos from previous Buffalo Mountain ATV Christmas Ride events on Sport Outfitters FB page.