The founder of the Toys Tour run in Palatka, Fla., “Raceboat” Rus Matos died five years ago next month at age 59. Matos was a full-blown, joyful and energetic character who just wanted to make a difference in the lives of underprivileged children who most likely wouldn’t be opening anything other than their eyes on Christmas morning. He a saw need and used his passion for powerboats to help fill it by creating a toy-gathering event.
Not a new concept in the charity-event world, by any means, but still a damn fine one that people with kind hearts embrace.
Set for December 5-6, the Toys Tour will celebrate its 25th anniversary this year. Organizer Scott McCormick and Matos’ son, Louie, who is the event’s official DJ, are expecting an amazing turnout for the event.
Like all charity event organizers, though not nearly as well-known as those in charge of producing larger, high-profile summer affairs, Mato wanted to make a difference. Being recognized for his efforts didn’t matter to him. Results did.
“If you want your dreams to come true, you better help everybody else’s dreams come true,” said Matos in a 2017 speedothewater.com article. “Because what goes around, comes around.
“I used to do an event called the Radical Boat Reunion, and the guys I was around at the time wanted me to do another event,” he continued. “I said, ‘Let’s try this’ with the Toys Tour and now we had a political excuse to run around like wild dogs with our hair on fire. And as the years went by, it became less and less about running around like dogs with our hair on fire than it did about caring and sharing.”
That’s about as “ love thy neighbor as thyself” as event organizers get. And that was Rus Matos.
The unsung hero of event organizers.