On July 25, 2012, a local Portland running group known as the Hash House Harriers (and many other names) visited Portland Fire Station 19 (Mt. Tabor) with a large donation of new toys for Toy 'n Joy.  The group also raised a significant cash donation for Toy 'n Joy - a Portland Fire & Rescue charity that collects and distributes toys to needy children around the holidays and after a significant fire event. 

The group, described by firefighters as “lively” and “spirited”, was dressed in holiday attire and followed a three mile route through the Mt. Tabor neighborhood to the station.

The Hash running group began in 1938 in an eatery or Hash House called the Selangor Club Chambers, close to the British outpost in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. An Englishman by the name of A. S. Gispert and a few friends came up with a briliant idea of introducing a weekly dose of exercise into their routine. Gispert and company decided the run would be followed by a round of high-octane socializing. The name of the organization reflects its birth in a "Hash House". Hence the Hash House Harriers. This group has a long tradition of having fun and getting exercise while they do it non-competitively.

Portland Fire & Rescue wishes to thank the Harriers for their generous donation to needy kids in our community and selecting "Christmas in July" as their running theme.