By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
AT 18 years old, Barbara Maggs started her love affair with motorcycles and has been riding in the spirit of Christmas with partner Tony Jenner for 30 years.
Each year, Barbara and Tony from Devon Meadows are responsible for organising the Ulysses Motorcycle Club’s annual toy run, and Barbara was officially recognised for her efforts on Monday 8 June with a Medal of the Order of Australia for her service to the community.
But Barbara said the toy run was actually Tony’s idea in the first place.
“We were both nominated by Damien Codognotto from the Motorcycles Riders Association (MRA) of Victoria, but Tony started it all- it’s not fair it can only go to one person and it looks like it’s me,” she said.
The duo are both honorary life members at the MRA, and have been together for 50 years.
“We both joined about the same time, my membership number is 2015 and Tony’s is 2014.”
For 30 years, Barbara and Tony have slotted flyers into motorcycle saddlebags around Cranbourne and surrounding areas and picked up the phone to hundreds of interested riders.
“Then they contact us from the flyers. Jude Perera’s office has been marvellous in printing as many flyers as we want, we have always done a toy run for underprivileged people, we like to see people and children get something for Christmas,” she said.
“We used to have about 1000 bikes ride in the toy run, now there’s different clubs who belong to different areas and they donate as well.”
The OAM nomination came as a shock to Barbara.
“It put me a bit off balance, but was a marvellous surprise,” she said.
The Christmas gifts and tinned food collected from the toy runs each year gets donated to the Salvation Army and Barbara said she had even seen the smiles on people’s faces around Christmas time.
“I really enjoy it; we do it just before Christmas, and I’ve met lots of people who have benefitted,” she said.
The Ulysses Motorcycle Club life member said she still rode.
“I’ve got a licence, but I go pillion on the back of the bike these days,” she said.
Barbara will be presented with her Medal of the Order of Australia in September this year.
