A group of local bikers is helping to create the next generation of riders with a donation to the Ironton Head Start.

On Sunday, around 50 bikers from around the area met up for a charity poker run, which brought not only a good time for the riders, but more than $2,000 to Head Start, which they say they’ll use to purchase nine new tricycles, maybe some of the first wheels these little riders will get their hands on.

Miriam Whitworth coordinated the poker run. She’s soft-spoken, considering what a big help she had been to the group, but she will admit that she had a kindergartner named Jed at heart when she organized the event.

“I have a son that goes here, but I just wanted to help them out,” Whitworth said. “They needed some new playground toys.”

While Whitworth may not want to hog the spotlight, Head Start employees Marty Kershner and Kenny Walters are more than happy to sing her praises.

“We have 120 children at this site alone, they don’t come outside at the same, but boy, 120 kids everyday, they can wear and tear a tricycle,” Kershner said. “I started crying because it felt like Christmas. Not for me but for the kids.”

While they occasionally get some help from generosity, Walters, the school’s fiscal officer, said that this kind of gift was a rare thing.

“It’s not common for us,” Walters said. “Maybe once or twice a year among all of out sites we maybe get one or two donations of this size.”

In Walters’ view, it’s concrete proof that the Ironton Head Start is headed in the right direction.

“We take care of the community’s kids, but when the community takes the time to give back, it makes it really nice,” Walters said.

But for the bikers, it’s just the latest in a string of good deeds, from a group that has few strangers to charity.

“Riders love to help out, especially when it’s kids. Yeah, it turned out great, we had good weather and a lot of fun,” Whitworth said.

Whitworth said that the riders however can’t take all the credit. They had some help in donations from Frogtown, Liebert, Spriggs’ Distributing and Bartrum’s Supermarket.