Neediest may suffer with end of toy run

RIO RANCHO, N.M. (KRQE) - The lagging economy is forcing more and more needy New Mexicans to seek help from charities and food pantries.

But the end of a longtime charity event this year in Rio Rancho has community providers in New Mexico’s fastest-growing city wondering how they will make up the difference in donations next year.

“The need is tremendous,” said Georgiana Kugle, executive director of the Storehouse West food pantry. “We have gone up in volume--the number of people that we serve--about 5 percent this year.”

Motorcyclists annually donate food, toys and cash to the community.

Dawn Raia-Troup, the longtime organizer of the Rio Rancho Toy Run, told News 13 that this year’s event, which took place Nov. 20, was the last.

“The high cost of organizing this event has forced us to give up our dreamz (sic) of helping the kidz (sic),” according to a flyer Raia-Troup distributed during this year’s toy run. “This year markz (sic) the 19th and final year of the Rio Rancho Toy Run.”

Specifically, Raia-Troup said, the main problem was that the amount she had to pay to police for traffic control efforts went from $2,400 in 2010 to $5,320 this year. The total cost of running the toy run this year was $7,355.

Rio Rancho Police Chief Robert Boone said he altered the traffic-control plan this year to include stationary officers at each intersection rather than rolling road blocks, which have been used in years past.

He said he made the change partially because the line of motorcycle riders often stretches for miles. However, a significant motorcycle accident last year also contributed to the traffic plan changes.

“We did have to transport one person out of there by helicopter for a very serious crash,” Boone said.

More importantly, he said, he cannot provide free traffic-control services to a charity event because the state Constitution’s anti-donation clause forbids giving public money to private operations.

“If people want to donate to a charity, they should do so,” Boone said. “But it should not be done through tax dollars.”

And that may be true.

But consider this: Only half of the seven or eight police agencies who helped out with this year’s toy run actually charged the charity. Spokespeople for both New Mexico State Police and Albuquerque police said officers who were already scheduled to be on duty were merely assigned to the event.

But Boone said he’s not concerned with how other agencies pay for the event.

“Quite frankly, I don’t try to evaluate what other departments might look at,” the chief said. “I feel I’m doing what’s right. I feel I’m doing what’s lawful.”

Whatever the case, next year people who rely on the thousands of pounds of food and tens of thousands of dollars worth of toys donated by toy run participants may be out of luck.

“They give to everybody in Rio Rancho that has need,” said Fran Stephens, who helps distribute toys to more than 100 needy families in Sandoval County. “It’s gonna be sad because somewhere we’re going to have to fill that void, and I don’t know how we’re going to do it.”

Kugle echoed those comments and said the toy run is one of her organization’s largest donors. The pantry just received 2,015 pounds of food from this year’s toy run.

“Oh yes, it’s up there,” Kugle said of the amount donated. “The school district (donates) about 2,600 pounds. Intel was 3,200 pounds. It’s that range that we’re going to have to replace it somewhere.”

Still, even with the increased police cost, Boone said he doesn’t think the event has to die.

“There’s 6,000 motorcycles that participate in this event,” he said. “If they turned around and charged a dollar admission fee for anyone who wants to run this, it would certainly pay for police services.”