By By Robbie Byrd
News Editor
.Biking all day is no easy task. Just ask the preschoolers in First Baptist Church's daycare program.
Even so, they still managed to ride all day long on all sorts of assorted bicycles, tricycles and big wheels to raise over $1,150 for the annual St. Jude Trike-A-Thon program.
This program, sponsored by the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, raised the money to help promote St. Jude's mission of treating children with cancer, even if families cannot afford it.
Children at the daycare center asked for pledges from friends and family to sponsor their day-long ride.
Some children raised over $200 to go towards treatment costs, housing for families and research in the fight against cancer.
Not only did the children learn about the value of giving, but in the true spirit of learning they were also taught the importance of bike safety.
Through a week long program, children learn four important bike and trike riding safety rules, such as helmet use. These lessons are reinforced through coloring sheets, story lessons and other instructional tools.
As well, students learn that there are some children that are not as fortunate as others, the reason they are working to raise money for St. Jude.
A parent at the Trike-A-Thon commented: "He's just having the time of his life. I've never seen him having this much fun."
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a world leader in childhood cancer research center. Today, thanks to research conducted at St. Jude, the overall survival rates for the most common forms of pediatric cancer have risen dramatically. More than 70 percent of all children with cancer will survive their fight with the disease.
St. Jude Hospital freely shares all of its research findings with doctors and hospitals around the world and has treated more than 17,000 patients since its founding in 1962. St. Jude will pay all costs for treatment above those reimbursable by third party insurance. Families with no insurance are treated free of charge.
First Baptist Church's daycare program serves children from the Atmore and surrounding area with daily care in a Christian environment. For more information contact First Baptist Church at 2181.
Trike-A-Thon