Indeed, he must because who else but old St. Nick would brave a December Chicago morning to deliver the yule tide goods to needy kids in the Chicago area? For the 27th year, benevolent motorcyclists -- more than 40,000 of them in 2004 -- have converged in Chicago to join in the annual Toys For Tots (TFT) motorcycle parade.

"Oh, there's definitely more than last year," Triumph rider Jack Hogan from Chicago points out while waiting for the ride to begin. Adds his wife Sue: "Just look here - here's, what, one, two, three, four, of us who weren't here last year. That makes 40,004, right?"

It's hard to argue with that logic, and if any comment was not overheard at the rally, it was lament over a lack of participation. This ride was filled to capacity, and needy kids in Chicago and the surrounding area will be better off for it.

Each participate in the TFT parade donates at least one toy to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. Those toys are then distributed to local groups, such as churches, schools, hospitals and aid organizations that, in turn, see that the toys make it to a child in need on Christmas morning.

Today, as it has been since it moved to this starting location in 1985, the parade begins at the intersection of Western Ave. and 86th St. and ends at the 4th Marine Corps Division Center at Foster and Troy.

As a rider making your way south on Western to the starting point in the Dan Ryan Woods, it's clear that you're about to become part of something a lot bigger. Still several miles out, you're already joined by dozens of other parade-bound bikers. By 8 a.m., the pack of riders fills a mile-long staging area that's as much as 150-feet wide in spots, and bikes are still filling in behind.

The wait is considerable. (An accident delayed the ride. See sidebar "TFT rider hit, killed by car.") Most participants don't head out onto Western until 12:30 p.m., where they sit for another 30 minutes before the ride resumes north.

Clearly, Chicagoans appreciate the charity of the TFT riders. Western is lined with men, women and children waving as Harleys, Yamahas, Hondas, Suzukis, Harleys and more Harleys stream by. Homemade signs offer blessings, and kids cheer.

The four-and-a-half hour wait was worth it.

At Western and Montrose, riders are treated to a performance by Native American dancers from the American Indian Center. The dancers, in ceremonial dress, perform as their way of thanking the riders for their charity.

At the end of the 20-mile parade the free hot soup at the Marine Center warms riders' blood like a triple helping of rum cake on Christmas Eve. This year, the Teamster Horsemen fill in for the Marines who normally perform cooking duties but can't this time because resources are diverted to military operations overseas.

However, for some of us -- especially those who rode out at 6:30 a.m. from our homes in the far western suburbs, skipping breakfast to make better time (See sidebar "Who whouldn't go?") -- we can't endure the wait in the soup line, and we backtrack along the parade route to one of Chicago's finer roadside diners. The streets are lined with rows of bikes, parked in front of establishments such as Lu-Lu's at Taylor and West Ogden Ave., about one mile off Western, where the cheese fries are hot and the chili dogs are smothered.

For 56 years, the USMCR has operated the Toys for Tots Program, distributing more than 313 million toys to 151 million kids. Chicago's TFT parade is a large part of that effort, and today by some measures it's the single largest charitable motorcycling event in the world.

The TFT parade began in 1978 with one motorcycle piloted by Vietnam veteran Ed "Aminal" Wisniewski. Last year, the largest ever until 2004 by at least one estimate, welcomed 40,000 riders, according to the Chicagoland Toys for Tots.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. And he's 40,004 strong, and thanks to all those Santas, tens of thousands of needy kids get to believe for one more year.

For more information, see the Web site of the Chicagoland Toys for Tots: chicagolandtft.org.