Annual Christmas Ride from Matoaka, WV

The annual Christmas Ride with Muddy Mark will be Sat. Dec. 20th. . For those who went last year, we plan to go to the same places.
We are going this week to verify the first home, make sure who still lives there and how many kids, etc. We will still go to Eugene's house as usual.  All SXS's and atv's welcome. Bring donations or gifts or just come and ride. Usually about a 50 - 60 mi. round trip depending on speed of group. Plan is to be ready in Matoaka, WV at 8:30am. Plenty of parking in town. I will update info later this week.

Thanks Charlie! Great ride for a great cause.  

I hate to miss yet another of these Christmas rides Charlie but due to my wife's illness, I cannot possibly make it.  Tell Mark I said hi!

Keep us posted. Gonna try to make this one

This sounds like a fun ride.  Enjoy it guys and take pics !!

This ride is on my bucket list...maybe next year. Ya'll have fun and be safe.

UPDATE!  The first house has 3 or 4 adults and 4 children. Two boys ages 15 and 12. A girl age 15 and granddaughter 5 yrs old. The gentleman that lives there said when someone knocks on his door, it's usually when a rider is hurt and needs to call 911. It is the nearest home to the stairsteps where the crazy riders get injured. They are deserving and very appreciative of help at Christmas time. We will go to Eugene's house, 30mi. from Matoaka by trail. He 71 yrs old, lives by himself in the same rough small house his family bought in the 1950's. We have been going 10 Yrs now and he always says he can't think of anything he needs...   Donations and gifts are great but just come and enjoy the ride if you like....lots of fun!
Thanks in advance!

Lord, that house Eugene is in would be condemned in most places, maybe it will last as long as he does. If I am thinking of the same house by the steps, they don't even have running water in the house.
Sad we can't use our tax money to help these people instead of illegals.

Yeah, Timmi, it is in bad shape. Never had running water but does have electricity. The roof has fallen in on the end of the house where he slept when his sister still lived there. He has it propped up with some poles and said he was going to try to fix that part of the roof. It has part of a tarp over it but you can look thru the front window and see the sky. The side of the house he sleeps in he says is dry and the wood/coal stove keeps him warm. I don't think the other house by the steps has running water either because I sometimes see a pickup with a water tank in the back with a line running to the house. Government waste...don't get me started!

Video from last year's Christmas Ride.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZdf2JRKFRQ

Charlie,

What are the typical gifts everyone gives? Are their any kids?

PrairieDawg wrote:

Video from last year's Christmas Ride.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZdf2JRKFRQ

cool! you have a youtube channel I didn't know about. looks like 2010 was the last one I was on.

TBONE, Gifts can be household items, basic clothing such as gloves, socks, etc. food items are prob given by most people. Everyone eats, esp on holidays! A small donation in a card is good too. There are two boys, ages 12 and 15. Two girls ages 15 and 5. There are at least 3 adults living there also. When Mark and I talked to the gentleman there Thurs he said the kids really, really enjoyed our visit last year. Eugene is 71, lives alone, and can use anything but when I ask him what he needs he always says he "can't think of anything he needs".

I will make sure to make this next year!! Looks like a great time. My family and I are very blessed so Every year we find a family in need to adopt for Xmas. is it a diffrent family every year?

Weather forecast for Sat is looking great! Now it's just cloudy with high near 40°. Going to be a fun ride!
kfoley1087, We have always gone to Eugene's house. Once you've been there you understand why. The last few years we've added homes with children. We chose ones where we saw children playing during rides in the spring/summer. This year we just didn't get time to plan as we wanted, to expand to more places. If next year goes as planned, it will be awesome!

Sounds like Eugene could use a few sheets of plywood and a dozen bundles of shingles. Has anyone on this site ever considered doing something like this for a family ?

I  don't know that the frame of that house could support shingles. Metal roof might be better.

Watch this video especially at 14:35.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIqEe2CpSAA

This was 3 years ago, his sister had passed or was in a nursing home at the time. The room Eugene said he slept in is where the roof fell in. I'm at a loss as what could be done. As Timmi said it may not support shingle roof. Really need to start from scratch. Don't know how old the house is but Eugene said they moved there in the 50's. The thing is Eugene seems content as is.

Damn guys that was heart breaking. I see a group of friends with a passion to ride in the great state of WV and bring a smile to total strangers at a special time of year. God Bless All Of You !

hope to make this ride next year...needs promoted more....you can put it on my other forum too

My video from the Christmas Ride....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TihoGQ-Muc

Thanks to everyone who helped make this event possible! I think there were at least 32 machines, don't know how many people!
Next year I hope to plan/promote a little better.

I see the coyotes ain't got Gene's mule yet! God bless y'all for doing that!

You guys are awesome!  Thanks for the video and good lord willing I will make the next one. The old house is getting really bad. I hope it makes it through the winter snows.  Maybe like some of you said, we can help him with a roof some how.

What an awesome video! Mark is such an awesome guy. All of you guys are awesome. Definitly the true meaning of Christmas. 
Thank you for posting this. Great video guys!

I really don't no what to say!!! WOW!! I will be there next year tho!! If you can give as much notice as possible next year that would be great.  

Every year we plan it to be the Saturday before Christmas. Only once we had to postpone until the Sat after New Year's because of heavy snow. Next year we hope to visit more places, plan better. It is an awesome experience!