The doors of the Turlock Salvation Army were wide open on Friday as dozens of local motorcycle riders rolled up with bags of toys and other gifts. For the third year, Hell’s Angels and the United Motorcycle Clubs joined forced to sponsor local families, hoping to bring holiday cheer to those who are less fortunate.

Mike Watkins is the secretary for the Savage Syndicate motorcycle club. He explained that this is an event that has grown over the years and is something that more and more members of the motorcycle community begin to look forward to.

“A lot of us have families. We’re husbands, we have daughters, we have sons, so we know how important it is for families to be able to have gifts, especially this time of the year,” Watkins said. “We try to do a lot for our communities, and this is just another one of those things. It makes all of us feel good, it feels good to give back.”

Another Central Valley rider by the name of Slick explained that community service is nothing new to local motorcycle clubs, and that it isn’t typically recognized.

“We like to give back to these families and give them a happy Christmas, just like everyone should,” he said. “A lot of people don't see what we actually do for the community, but we do a lot of these all over the place. All up and down California, groups get together and we raise funds for the less fortunate. Just to see the smiles on their faces, man, it’s a beautiful thing.”

The gifts will be handed out today, with more than 150 motorcycles expected to roll up to the Salvation Army headquarters to greet the families.