Preschoolers line up for the Fort Meadow Trike-a-Thon for St. Jude. (Photo by Amy Porter)
WESTFIELD – As a part of the Week of the Young Child, Fort Meadow Early Childhood Center was bustling with activity. On Wednesday, they held their ninth annual Trike-a-Thon for St. Jude Children’s Hospital, to raise money for toys for the sick children.
Fort Meadow Principal Joanne Hentnick said that last year, Tricia Roy, the district’s physical therapy assistant who ran the event, added a “car wash” to make it more fun for the children who came in shifts from their classes. As the children arrived at the gymnasium, they got on tricycles and rode around in order, going through the two “car washes” with strips of cloth and bubbles coming out of a bubble machines.
Children rode through a “car wash” and bubbles to make the Trike-a-Thon more fun. (Photo by Amy Porter)
After the riding portion was over, the children sat in a circle around Roy, and listened to a book about bike safety, emphasizing wearing helmets, riding in safe places, and watching out for people walking.
Roy told each group of children, “Thank you for raising money for St. Jude and helping kids who are sick in the hospital to have something to play with.”
Four-year-old Paisley Rogers raised more than $1,300, hoping to win a trycicle for a sick child. (Photo by Amy Porter)
One little girl, Paisley Rogers, 4, raised over $1,200 in two days through her mother’s Facebook account, and by asking friends and neighbors. She told her Mom she wanted to raise $1,234. She’s hoping to earn a tricycle, one of the prizes, so she can donate it to a child.
Amanda wrote: “My little lady Paisley Rogers along with her classmates at Fort Meadow School are raising money to help put smiles on children’s faces and families focus on their little ones. Please help Paisley by donating even a dollar! I’m hoping she will love the volunteer feeling and carry this on through life! You may see her at your front door too ?
Children go through the “car wash” during the Trike-a-Thon. (Photo by Amy Porter)
“Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to more than 80% since it opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude is working to drive the overall survival rate for childhood cancer to 90%, and we won’t stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude freely shares the discoveries we make, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children.”
On Wednesday, Amanda said that Paisley was $80 from her goal, and had gone door to door in her neighborhood. A shy little girl, Paisley was brave and determined – and by the end of the day had exceeded her goal, raising a total of $1,375.
“I was just so proud of Paisley. She’s got such a big heart for a little girl,” Roy said.
Physical Therapy Assistant Tricia Roy read a book about bike safety to each group of children. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Altogether, by Wednesday, Fort Meadow had raised over $3,500 for the children at St. Jude, $1,500 more than they raised last year, and Roy said more would be coming in. “Each year, we raise more money than the year before,” Roy said.
