News Releases

Santa Claus to Ride Harley Through Town to Benefit The Children’s Inn at NIH; Modifications Made Due to COVID-19

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, December 2, 2020

On Wednesday, December 9, Santa will come to Montgomery County riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle during the Police Department’s annual Santa Ride that benefits The Children’s Inn at NIH.  While the Santa Ride will look very different this year due to COVID-19, the goal of the Santa Ride remains the same: to raise awareness of the services that The Children's Inn at NIH provides.

WHAT: SANTA RIDE TO BENEFIT THE CHILDREN’S INN AT NIH

Santa and his elves (aka: motor officers) will travel through the county on their motorcycles on their way to greet the children and families at The Children’s Inn at NIH (National Institutes of Health) in a socially distant and safe manner.

For information about The Children’s Inn, visit childrensinn.org and follow them on social media at  — Facebook: @TheChildrensInn; Twitter: @TheChildrensInn; Instagram: thechildrensinn

WHEN: Wednesday, December 9, 2020

WHERE:

Officers will leave the 5th District Police Station located at 20000 Aircraft Drive in Germantown at 3:00 pm and will make their way to Route 355 and travel south on Route 355 to The Children's Inn located in Bethesda.  Due to COVID-19, there will be no stops along the route this year (and no visit inside the Inn - see below).

Private Event: Officers will briefly enter the NIH property so that Santa can say a few words to resident patients outside the main doors of The Children's Inn.  The ride will conclude with a ride around the NIH property.

HOW TO DONATE:



November 20, 2020

To Whom It May Concern:

The Montgomery County Police Department, in association with other law enforcement offices within the county are valued partners in the annual “Santa’s Police Ride” to benefit The Children’s Inn at NIH. The procession of uniformed policemen led by Santa on a Harley has become a highlight of the holiday season for the last several years. The charity ride has even captured the attention of many media outlets.

The Children's Inn is a private, nonprofit, family-centered residence for pediatric patients at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Its purpose is to allow children and their families to stay together while participating in clinical research studies at the NIH, reduce the burden of illness on the patient and their support system and facilitate the healing process through mutual support. In fiscal year 2020, more than 1,100 families came from 50 states and 104 countries to stay at The Inn. Families do not pay to stay at the Inn; we rely solely on private contributions to sustain our operations.

All donations raised from this event will help support operational expenses as well as programs for the entire family. These services include recreational, therapeutic, wellness, and educational programming. Each one designed to build community and wellbeing among residents and to provide children and families a natural opportunity to meet and make friends with others going through similar experiences.

We are hoping you will be able to donate to this charity event. Your charitable, tax-deductible donation will help The Children's Inn continue to provide much needed services to seriously ill children and their families. To provide a financial donation on-line, please visit our website at www.childrensinn.org/santa2020, and enter your information. You may also mail your donation to The Children’s Inn at NIH, Attn: Donation Department in c/o Santa Police Ride, 7 West Drive, Bethesda, MD  20814.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact me at meghan.arbegast@nih.gov or by phone at 301-827-6054.  Thank you in advance for considering our request.

With gratitude,

Meghan Arbegast

Volunteer Engagement Manager

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Release ID: 20-482
Media Contact: Rebecca Innocenti 
Categories: community-event