Braving the chilling rain all in the name of helping those who are less fortunate, local bikers banded together Saturday for their annual toy ride.“We want to make sure kids have a Merry Christmas,” said Rob Wolford, who helped organize the annual event, along with other motorcycle enthusiasts, 16 years ago.The bikers, in conjunction with the Christian Bikers Association, met Saturday morning at Tim’s Motors on Smithville Highway in the midst of a steady, near-freezing rain. The mounted volunteers were joined by many who opted to ride in cars as part of the annual parade that travels down The Strip, goes through downtown, and then ends at the VFW.“We had a few less this year for the ride due to the bad weather,” Wolford said.The toys and money collected through the annual ride goes to the Rescue Squad, which distributes the toys before Christmas to needy children.“One hundred percent of what we raise goes to the toy drive,” Wolford said.“Back when we started, business owners would see a bunch of bikers roll up to their establishments and thought we were there to rob them,” Wolford laughed about the early years. “Now they welcome us with open arms because they know what we’re about.