19th Annual Trike-A-Thon to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

MCDC Families,

It is that time of year again where we come together to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital!  Our Annual Trike-A-Thon will take place this year on Thursday April 4th.  This will be our 19th year to participate in this event!

The first thing you can do to support this event is visit https://stjude.org/trike, find our event and register your child. Even if your child is not actually participating in riding a tricycle that day, you can still raise money!  You can collect donations online or bring them to the center and place in the Trike-A-Thon box located in the front lobby.  Send your link to friends and family and post on social media.  You can even order your prizes online this year!  Our goal this year is $5000!!!  The classroom that raises the most money will get a pizza party!!

This year’s event holds a special place in our hearts, as one of our own sweet children is currently receiving services from St. Jude.  Her story is below.  Let’s really show our support for this family and all the other families who find themselves having to make drastic changes to their everyday lives.

Details for the day of the event:

The event will start at 9:00am and last until 11:00am.  We will need the front parking lot cleared by 8:50am.  Please make arrangements to have your child dropped off and your vehicle moved by 8:50am.  If you are coming to the event to watch your child ride, please park next door at the medical center.  The front parking will be unavailable from 8:50am-11:00am.  Please keep this in mind if you will be arriving late that day or have an appointment.

Preschool: You may bring a tricycle, scooter, bicycle for your child to ride.  Just not any motorized vehicles. J  We will have designated areas in the front for you to park your child’s bike.  Please be sure to label their bike and provide a helmet for them to wear.  Preschool C will be riding from 9:00am-9:30am, Preschool B from 9:45am-10:15am, and Preschool A from 10:30am-11:00am.  We would love for you to come cheer them on!

Toddlers & Explorers:

You may bring in a riding toy for your child to play with on the playground the day of the event.  You may drop off their riding toy on their playground that morning so it is available for them to ride when their class goes outside.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Sarah’s Story

My daughter’s name is Sarah Catherine Joye and she has Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH) Cancer.  Sarah’s cancer has formed lesions in her skull and facial bones. If left untreated, it would progress to other organ systems.  Sarah was diagnosed at 2 months and care for her condition began immediately by St Jude’s Hospital here in Huntsville Alabama.  Sarah’s LCH was originally thought to be limited to her skin but at approximately 18 mouths of age, lesions formed in her skull.  PET, CT and MRI scans were performed at St Jude’s in Memphis, TN indicating progression of the LCH in several bones. Sarah had surgery /biopsy of the lesion in her skull which required a titanium plate to replace the structure from the bone loss. She also had a second surgery to place a port in her chest allowing intravenous access for her to begin chemotherapy.  Sarah will receive Chemo each week at St Jude’s in Huntsville and return to Memphis every 12 weeks for PET scans and further evaluation.  Sarah also has Cystic Fibrosis (CF) so her blood counts are followed closely to prevent pulmonary infections.  St Jude’s provides advanced comprehensive care for their patients and provides housing and support for the family’s, regardless of a family’s insurance status or their ability to pay for treatment, giving every child hope for a future.