Mentor Public Schools recently hosted the VeloSano Trike & Bike

By Mimi Vanderhaven

You never forget how to ride a bike, right?

At the recent VeloSano Trike & Bike event at Mentor’s Jerome T. Osborne Sr. Stadium, a spirited tiny-but-mighty group of kids hopped on their bikes and hit the track to raise money for lifesaving pediatric cancer research.

For the second year in a row, Mentor Public Schools hosted the VeloSano Kids event, raising more than $9,000.

Cleveland Clinic founded the initiative in 2018, with 100 percent of dollars raised going to support the research at Cleveland Clinic Children’s.

“Pediatric cancer is very rare and the treatments for it have only gotten better because of the research we try to do,” says Dr. Stacey Zahler, from Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Bone and Marrow Transplantation at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital.

An army of volunteers made the magic happen and cheered on the riders at the Trike & Bike, including volunteers from Mentor High School, from soccer players to varsity and sparkle cheerleaders and art students.

“With face-painting, a balloon artist and a raffle, this is a family event in which the schools and generous members of the community come together for an amazing cause,” says Kristen Kirby, director of community relations for Mentor Schools.

“We had riders as young as two years old being pushed on trikes/bikes and we had an officially registered one-year-old rider who surpassed the fundraising goal by doing a few steps in a little car before moving over to a stroller to be pushed by mom and dad,” says Kristen. “This wonderful event was truly represented by all ages. I saw many moms of young babies there moving around the track as well.”

The community pitched in, too. Chick-fil-A treated the crowd to lemonade samples and brought their infamous cow mascot, and the Mentor Fire Department rolled in on its lavender truck, Comfort 54, a vehicle that raises cancer awareness.

Every rider received a ticket to Cedar Point, and the rider who raised the most money won box seats to a Cleveland Indians game.

To donate to VeloSano Kids any time of year, visit VeloSano.org. The Mentor School system educates 7,660 students from pre-K to 12th grade in eight elementary schools, three middle schools, one high school and one school for students with autism. For updates, visit MentorSchools.net.