Ashley IB Pre-Kindergarten Students Hop on Bikes and Trikes to Raise Money for Children's Hosptital

When Angie Williard heard about the trike-a-thons that some schools organize to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, she thought that would fit right in with what she and the 15 students in her pre-kindergarten program at Ashley IB Magnet School were working on.

An important part of the overall International Baccalaureate program at Ashley is coming to understand the importance of caring and empathy. Helping children who are ill would certainly support that goal. And, as part of their unit on transportation, they could learn all about trike and bike safety.

Students started raising money, and Williard and her assistant, Anne Phillips, set a date for the event – Friday, April 12. The original idea was to ride in the parking lot. But, after a night of rain turned into a rainy morning, they figured that it would be best to move everything inside – to the music room, to be precise.

Joining school staff members and the four- and five-year-olds were assorted parents, grandparents and siblings – both older and younger. Kamice Gilbeaux’s older sister, Kadia, was there, and Presley Wilkinson’s team included four-month-old Skye and their mother, Becky Wilkinson. Cameron White's grandparents, Lewis and Marlene Jackson, were there, too.

First, Williard had all the students sit in a circle and refresh their minds on such pertinent points as why they were raising money for St. Jude’s – “so they can buy more tools and more medicine,” piped up one student – and why you wear a helmet on your head – “because your brain is in there,” said another.

After they all agreed that there would be no passing slower riders and that they would say, “Sorry,” should they accidentally bump into someone, they headed to their low-slung big wheels or little bikes (many with training wheels). Willard broke them up into smaller groups of riders so that the track – a circle established by inner and outer circles of miniature plastic traffic cones – wouldn’t get overcrowded.

Janice Sayre, the school’s physical-education teacher, was there to help with such important details as strapping on helmets. Sayre said that she really enjoys working with the pre-K students.

“They are so sweet,” she said. “They make you laugh and enjoy life. They are full of life.”

The students looked good. Emmanuel Wade Watkins was wearing a helmet with red spikes that Santa Claus had brought him. His mother, Kellie Watkins, is the school’s curriculum coordinator.

After donning their helmets, the students hit the track while family members looked on, snapping photos or taking videos. Leon Witherspoon said that his son, Miles, had learned a lot about bike safety in the process of preparing for the trike-a-thon and that he had been coming home talking about the importance of wearing a helmet and not riding in the street.

Jon and Amanda Brasfield – Amanda Brasfield is the media coordinator at Ashley – were there supporting their son, Jude, who had donated $5 of his own money in addition to the money he had raised from family members. That had gone well, Jon Brasfield said. “He is an only grandchild on both sides.”