Santa came early to the Island this weekend, but with a twist: no sleigh or reindeer, just 40 men and women on motorcycles. And old St. Nick himself led the pack.

"On the way over here, people give you weird looks because it's not even Thanksgiving yet," said Mike (Panhead) Fuss, dressed as Santa at the Portuguese American Club in Oak Bluffs Sunday morning.

The group was gathered for the annual Red Stocking Fund run, a motorcycle ride put on every year by the Martha's Vineyard Harley Riders club. Red Stocking has been providing new toys and warm clothing for needy Island children at Chritsmastime for going on a century.

Harley riders came from various parts of the Island as well as the mainland, with some traveling from Cape Cod and at least one person from Rhode Island. Some in the group looked like Santa's rough-and-tumble cousins with their snow white facial hair and leather biker jackets.

"So what does it take to make this happen? Community participation," said Phillip Levesque, president of the Harley Riders. "It's not just Martha's Vineyard Harley Riders here, there's all kinds of independent riders. The community comes together to make this happen."

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