Nothing — not wind, nor rain, nor once-in-a-century virus — can stop the Bellerose Bikeathon.
Despite a global pandemic, a tight time limit, and the forces of Nature itself, some 410 Bellerose Composite students hopped in the saddle June 17 to ride bikes for 12 hours during the 18th annual Bellerose Bikeathon. By the end of it, they raised $134,000 for cancer research, bringing the event’s all-time total to $3.06 million.
Normally an indoor 48-hour event, this year’s Bikeathon was modified considerably to fit pandemic health restrictions. Participation was roughly halved, with riders moved to the school’s front lawn from the school’s atrium. Riders wore masks at all times, stayed several metres apart, and sanitized bikes between shifts. The traditional opening parade and speeches were also replaced with a prerecorded video watched by students in their classrooms.
Bellerose could have skipped this year’s fundraiser given the circumstances, but “cancer doesn’t' skip a beat, and we won’t either,” said Bikeathon co-founder and teacher Sue Leighton in the introductory video.
“I am so very proud of you. In three short weeks, you have pulled together a Bikeathon that generally takes us an entire year to make happen,” she said.
“You have shown that we are Bulldogs and when things get tough, we get tougher.”
A wet and wild ride
Participants got a nasty surprise when they woke up for the Bikeathon June 17: not only was it raining out, but the large tents they planned to borrow from a local cadet corps for shelter had suddenly become unavailable. That left students and parents scrambling to rustle up any tent or tarp they could find to guard against the blasting rain and wind.
It also left Zach North of Team SPF 3M (three million) slightly underdressed, as he came clad in a Hawaiian shirt, shorts, and a lei to match his team’s summertime schtick.
“Definitely not dressed for the occasion,” he deadpanned, as raindrops cascaded off the tent over his head.
Colby Yacy and Team Staycation rigged up a sort of hobo shelter around their bike using two umbrellas, garbage bags, and Gorilla Tape.
“We have three guys who are going into engineering (on the team), so this is what they came up with,” he said, as he pedaled away while catching up on his math homework.
“I hope they’re going to be better engineers once they go through their degrees,” he joked.
The wind and the rain hadn’t dampened the students’ spirits at all, Leighton said in an interview. Many parents trucked in tents for the students throughout the morning, while others raided Costco for tarps. Someone even brought a propane-powered fire pit.
“It’s brought out the best in the kids,” Leighton said.
As per Bikeathon tradition, students went all out with goofy costumes and themes during their rides. There were pink tutus and princesses, Spice-Girls and Back-to-the-Future references, and a national holiday’s worth of flags and maple leaves around Team Canadians for a Cure.
Staff also went the extra mile to entertain and energize the riders. Teachers bombed participants with shirts lobbed and cannon-shot from the rooftop, while at ground level teacher Jason Dabbagh zipped about on roller skates delivering trays of orange slices and what appeared to be mango sorbets. Leighton, Susan Rankin, and Mike Hutchings whirled fluorescent towels as they screamed and danced to disco tunes as part of the infamous Sue-Mike-Sue show, and Clayton Wowk sacrificed his hair for the Stollery Children’s Hospital head-shave event.
Vital cause
Virtually everyone in the Bikeathon knew at least one person affected by cancer this year — at least three school staff members had family members with the disease, and Jyoti Mangat, the school’s principal, was in the Cross Cancer Institute being treated for it, Leighton said.
“Unfortunately, with cancer, it’s never just one person (affected).”
Grade 11 Student Rebecca Carle, who was dressed as a Star Wars Imperial officer, said she was biking in memory of her grandmother, who died of cancer six years ago.
“She beat it once and didn’t the second time. It was really, really tough, and I want to be able to remember her with this,” she said.
Leighton said this year’s funds would go to support clinical trials for treatments such as CAR T-cell therapy, which is currently being piloted in Edmonton.
North said he hoped this year’s Bikeathon would inspire others to pursue their dreams, no matter how difficult.
“Even though there were many blockades and obstacles to get over, we still went out and did it.”
