More than 500 students at Bellerose Composite High School took part in a 48-hour stationary bike marathon to raise funds for cancer research last week.
The 20th rendition of the Bellerose Bikeathon saw students camped out in teams throughout the school's cafeteria from March 1-3. Combined, students raised just over $200,000 for the Alberta Cancer Foundation and the Kids with Cancer Society.
Bikeathon 20 pushed the school's historical fundraising total to more than $3.4 million.
This year's event was the first since the COVID-19 pandemic to take place inside the school, as the two previous years saw students camped out in tents on school grounds.
Event co-organizer and Bellerose teacher Jeff Beaton told The Gazette that being back indoors, and celebrating the 20th anniversary of the event, made this year's pedal-fest feel special.
“I think there’s a feeling of both pride and accomplishment for our students to continue a legacy that grew from before they were born,” Beaton said.
“There’s something super-special even for staff (because) it feels like a Bikeathon that we know really well that we haven’t experienced for three years.”
Beaton said 65 teams participated this year, and about 550 students in total.
Who does the event help
Before getting started on March 1, students heard a first-hand account of the good that comes with the school's annual fundraiser from Kim Hordal-Hlewka, the assistant principal of Michael Phair Junior High School in Edmonton.
Hordal-Hlewka's daughter Samantha, a student at Sir Alexander Mackenzie Elementary School in St. Albert, was diagnosed with Burkitt Lymphoma in June 2021.
After seven months of tummy-aches, Samantha woke up on June 10, 2021, unable to walk or move her legs, Hordal-Hlewka told the crowd through tears.
“When we got to the Stollery, within 30 minutes Samantha was prepped for surgery,” she said. “She went into surgery for 2.5 hours, they took out 15 centimetres of her large intestine, and they found what we now know was a large tumour that caused her to have a bowel obstruction.”
“What that large tumour also did, was take that cancer from just her large intestine, and into her stomach lining, and she went from Stage 1 Burkitt’s Lymphoma, to Stage 3, within five days.”
Hordal-Hlewka said the family spent six months at the Stollery Children's Hospital, and Samantha underwent chemotherapy treatment.
Samantha, who was hiding behind the podium to avoid the gaze of the crowd on Wednesday, is now cancer-free, Hordal-Hlewka said, prompting deafening applause.
“This amazing human would not be here today if it wasn’t for (the Kids with Cancer Society and) for the amazing, amazing work that the Bulldogs are doing to raise money for kids like mine.”
The Kids with Cancer Society is dedicated to helping families with children diagnosed with cancer by providing financial, educational, and emotional support and programming.
Everybody affected
“Everyone’s been affected by cancer in some way or another, so it’s nice to help raise money to fight it,” said Kate Wallace, a Grade 12 student participating in her third Bikeathon.
Wallace and her teammates, all of whom were dressed up as characters from the 1990s television series The Magic School Bus, said they raised about $3,500 as a group this year.
“I lost my grandfather to cancer, and pretty sure my great-grandfather as well,” said Mackenna Patterson from The Magic School Bus team.
“Breast cancer runs through my mom’s side of the family, so my aunt has been affected by it, my other aunt was affected and just went through surgery for a second time (on Feb. 28) to remove the rest of the cancer.”
“That's why I do (Bikeathon),” Patterson said.
Another team The Gazette spoke to, whose theme was "2004" as a nod to the first Bikeathon, had multiple members with immediate family impacted by cancer.
“My mother has cancer, so I’m doing this for her,” said Hannah Wadson.
“I think my dad’s just unlucky because he’s had three family members die of cancer," Wadson's teammate Gus Hoglund piped in. “One of them just last year, his half-brother.
“(My dad) got so stressed that he had Bell’s palsy and half his face was paralyzed for about a month,” Hoglund said.
“We were really worried about him, so I don’t want to have that stuff happen to people like my dad.”
Team 2004 managed to raise $2,820.
“It’s very fun to do Bikeathon, and it’s for a great cause. Anyone who’s coming here should do it. It’s a valuable experience in your life that you have to have,” Hoglund said as they pedalled.
