More than 1,500 bikers gathered at the Billy Graham Library on Saturday, Oct. 18, for the 7th annual Bikers With Boxes, an event to benefit Operation Christmas Child. Bikers collected over than 3,300 boxes, more than any year past.
Prior to the event, Library staff and event volunteers prayed in the Library parking lot. Operation Christmas Child is a ministry of Samaritan's Purse, which had several people on site to help with Saturday's event.
Bikers came from all over the region, and one couple came from Vancouver, Canada. The couple heard about Bikers With Boxes when they visited the Charlotte, N.C.-based Library in August. They put their bikes in storage in Charlotte so they could attend two months later. The couple flew from Canada a few days before the event to pack their shoeboxes.
Saturday wasn't just about donating shoeboxes; it was about showing God's love in a tangible way. Many bikers took time to learn how Billy Graham also shared God's love with people around the world as they took the Library's Journey of Faith tour.
Boxes are filled with all kinds of items from school supplies and small toys to socks, toothbrushes and coloring books.
Several bikers took to social media during the event to say how fun it was and how blessed they were to join in.
One of the many Jesus-centered shirts from the event—and a participant favorite.
Many bikers said Bikers With Boxes is one of their favorite days of the year, just behind Christmas.
Toys gathered for Operation Christmas Child go to children around the world who not only receive a shoebox gift but hear the Gospel through a program called The Greatest Journey. Learn more at www.bit.ly/OCCshoeboxes.
Izabella McMillon, a former shoebox recipient from Romania, helped emcee Bikers With Boxes. Alex Nsengimana, another recipient from Rwanda, also shared his story. Nsengimana is now a college graduate living in North Carolina who returned to Rwanda last year to hand deliver shoeboxes.
With temperatures reaching the mid-70s and plenty of sun, the weather was much better than last year's rain.
Bikers had a chance to take the Library's Journey of Faith tour, which follows Billy Graham's ministry through the decades and points to the One he has always preached about: Jesus Christ. One biker's son who took the tour accepted Christ.
The Carolina Faith Riders, Northside Baptist chapter out of Greensboro, N.C., contributed the most shoeboxes for the 3rd year in a row with 602 boxes. Chapter president, John Rumley (far left), challenged other bikers to beat them next year, a challenge met with enthusiasm.
Men, women and kids all came out to support Bikers With Boxes, an event that keeps growing every year.
Bikers who have each other's backs. Filling out contact forms to get Bikers With Boxes T-shirts.
Taking a short break for lunch, provided by Chick-fil-A.
Attendees had an opportunity to tour BGEA's Rapid Response Team mobile command unit. BGEA has Rapid Response chaplains in the U.S., Australia, Canada and the UK, all who respond to disasters by providing emotional and spiritual care to people experiencing crisis.
Organizing and stuffing a large Operation Christmas Child truck with shoeboxes required team work, something Saturday's bikers were good at.
A number of biker group leaders said they have already started planning for next year's Bikers With Boxes.
