The Early Iron Car Club is playing a supporting role as Santa’s helpers as they assembled nearly 60 children’s bicycles for Christmas distribution through the Marines Toys for Tots endeavor.
Forty club members worked tirelessly in their home workshops and garages in a team effort to assemble the bicycles.
The annual tradition for the club is to celebrate their accomplishment with a breakfast together at Chubby’s Restaurant on Louise Avenue where they  host members of the U.S. Marine Corps and deliver the bikes to them for distribution through their Toys for Tots campaign.
Two Marines — Staff Sgt. Jeff Addison and Gunnery Sgt. Valentin Monroy — arrived at the restaurant to share breakfast with the group and to accept the bikes. Several of the men’s wives joined in support of the Toys for Tots effort. 
 The restaurant was filled with bikes – large and small – as the men finished their breakfasts. The Marines’ truck was too small to carry all the bikes and the car clubbers volunteered to load the bicycles in their own rented delivery truck and delivered  them to the front gate at Sharpe Depot on Roth Road before heading home.
There was also a stack of gifts piled near the front door next to the many bikes.
On Sunday, Dec, 17, from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. the Toys for Tots drive will be handing out Christmas presents to some 600 families in need that had signed up through online applications indicating a need.

To contact Glenn Kahl, email gkahl@mantecabulletin.com.