During the 2006 Toy Run, just before the drawing of the door prizes, I was asked something that caught me a bit by surprise; Someone asked about (gasp) Michelle!!!
Now, I know that I should not have been surprised by this question, but I have come to assume that everyone knows about Michelle and why the Toy Run caries her name. Of course, with new people moving to the coast, younger riders coming to the run, plus those of you who simply never had a chance to meet her, it is understandable that there are many who attend the event and don't know the story. I will try to briefly outline the events which have led to the Coast's Toy Run becoming the Michelle Hull Memorial Motorcycle Toy Run.
Ask 20 people about Michelle, and you will get 20 very different replies. Known as a seamstress, artist, leather worker, gardener and, yes bartender & waitress, She really was something different to each person she met. There are relatively few of us lucky enough to own one of Michelle's hand made creations, and in fact there are only about a half dozen men's leather vests in existence. Probably the greatest number of people know Michelle from her time at the Lighthouse Pub and/or the Jolly Roger Inn.
As mentioned on the History Page, Michelle started the original Coast Toy Run with Julie Gibson. The idea was a simple one; get the Local riders together one last time in the season for a fun ride, while giving something back to the community that they both loved by supporting the Coast's own Elves Club. Together, Michelle & Julie grew the Toy Run into the fun event that it is today.
On October 16th 2000, less than two weeks after that years Run, Michelle was in a car accident on her way home from work. It was late in the night, and raining hard. She did not survive.
It may sound cliche, but Michelle really was taken in the prime of her life...
Nine months later it was time to think of the Toy Run once again. I made the decision to stand up and do my best to fill Michelle's roll with this event. I called Julie and suggested that the Toy Run would be the most fitting tribute to Michelle's Spirit and Nature. It was agreed then that the Run would get a new name.
Although October 2001 was the first year we rode under the name, "Michelle Hull Memorial Motorcycle Toy Run" , this event was numbered as Tenth Annual purposely to signify a continuation of something started much earlier. We left Gibsons and rode out to the Jolly Roger under beautiful sunny skies. The mood of the riders was festive and I know that many there found the whole event somehow healing.