Little Flower to Host 40th Annual HOGS Toy Run in Wading River on Dec. 7

Santa Claus is comin’ to Wading River – on a Harley.

Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York, which is based in Wading River, will host the 40th Annual HOGS Toy Run on Sunday, Dec. 7.

The event, held in partnership with the Harley Owners Group of Suffolk County, brings hundreds of motorcyclists to the nonprofit’s facility to deliver toys for children in its care. The parade arrival is expected around 12:45 p.m.

“Congratulations to the Long Island Harley Owners Group on 40 incredible years of generosity,” Little Flower President and CEO Corinne Hammons said in a statement. “This day is always a highlight for me — seeing the riders, the joy from our children and the community spirit shows us how much good we can do together.”

Kerri Smith, the organization’s chief operating officer, said the annual toy run has become an important part of the holiday season for the campus.

“Watching the riders arrive with toys and seeing the excitement on our children’s faces reminds us why this event is such a special part of the holiday season,” Smith said.

The organization describes the HOGS Toy Run as the longest-running toy drive on Long Island.

Founded in 1929 by Monsignor Bernard J. Quinn — a Catholic priest currently recognized by the Vatican as a “Servant of God” and a candidate for canonization — Little Flower has grown from a residential home for vulnerable children into a broad human services nonprofit operating across New York City and Long Island. The organization now serves up to 1,400 people annually through foster care, residential treatment, adoption services, medical and mental health care, and programs for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Little Flower’s Wading River campus includes cottages, a school, recreational facilities and a health center for youth in residential care. Over the decades, the organization has expanded in response to changing needs, from establishing adoption and special education programs to assisting children affected by major social crises, including the Willowbrook scandal and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In recent years, Little Flower has adopted a care management model, earned national accreditation, become a certified Sanctuary organization and entered into an affiliation with St. John’s Residence for Boys in the Rockaways.

As it approaches its 100th anniversary, Little Flower continues to develop its medical and mental health services, invest in its Wading River campus and coordinate community engagement efforts, including volunteer opportunities and annual fundraising events.

The event will take place at 2450 North Wading River Road. Media inquiries can be directed to Andrea Borra at 631-644-6412 or borraa@lfchild.org.

More information on Little Flower is available at littleflowerny.org.