Clad in leather, clutching furry friends, Laura Garvin smiled at the large gathering.

And well she should smile — after all, Gavin’s partly responsible for that crazy Sunday afternoon every February when Auburn Regional Medical Center succumbs to motorcycle madness.

Last weekend the 14th annual Teddy Bear Run attracted some 300 riders from 20 area clubs to ARMC. Rugged bikers, easy riders and motorcycle mamas, they all brought something soft and meaningful for patients young and old to enjoy.

Collection bins brimmed with stuffed animals, dolls and other toys.

“We need these animals for the kids,” said Garvin, 64, – (shown in inset photo) – the big-hearted personality and primary coordinator of the annual event. “It makes all the difference in the world when they are scared or not feeling well … to be able to give them something to get better.”

The good medicine comes from caring motorcycle riders who rally for fun, camaraderie and charitable causes.

Some of the most engaging and charming people are those who tool down the road on Yamahas, Harley-Davidsons and Suzukis. Ordinary people, professionals and housewives, machinists and gardeners, full-time students and part-time caregivers, coming together for a worthy cause.

The Teddy Bear Run shows what a difference people can make for others.

The stuffed animals go to children who are seen in the hospital’s emergency department throughout the year. Many stuffed animals go to patients in the memory wellness program.

“They are so generous,” said Joyce Glavish, director of marketing for Auburn Regional. “Some of the bikers are insane, but it’s so fun to see them.

“It’s so very important to have this event,” Glavish said. “It’s one of the special things in Auburn, where a community comes together to help kids this way.

“Over the past 10 years, the bikers have been very generous with their many donations. This year, we collected more than a thousand stuffed animals that hospital staff can give to kids to make them feel better if they need surgery, or emergency care, or simply need some reassurance when they’re at the hospital.”

Bikers took a short, scenic ride, beginning at the South King Alano Club on Harvey Road, continuing through Auburn and finishing in the hospital atrium, where lunch was served.

The Seattle Cossacks Motorcycle Stunt Team performed.

Garvin and others have made the successful event possible. Garvin, a licensed practical nurse and stress test specialist at Auburn Regional, asked hospital administrators years ago if they could host such an event. They said yes.

The inaugural event drew 35 bikers. Today, it averages between 200 and 300 riders.

“We love people, we love kids, and we love these causes and being active in our community,” Garvin said of the Teddy Bear Run.

Garvin is a latecomer to the motorcycle community. A girlfriend invited her to try riding. At 52, she was hooked.

“I never thought I could ride a bike because I never knew anything about front brakes,” she said. “But let me tell you, it was amusing (repeatedly falling off). I broke so many mirrors, I couldn’t tell you.”

Garvin eventually got past the jitters, not to mention the motorcycle safety course, to discover the open road.

She has travelled throughout the country on two wheels, sharing the ride with family and friends. She has made cross-country trips on her own.

Garvin belongs to a local chapter of Alky Angels, a clean and sober motorcycle group that sponsors the Teddy Bear Run. She also is part of other motorcycle organizations.

“I’m a front-seat girl,” said Garvin, who rides a Yamaha. “It’s heaven … pure serenity.

“I guess, maybe I am (fearless). I wanted to do it, really bad,” she said of riding. “I wanted to be a part of the motorcycle community because they are such a great bunch of people.

“I can’t imagine not riding. I love that feel, that freedom. It’s just me, God and the road.”