Two young girls blow everyone away with unselfish act
McKennah and Arial are students at the Bobcaygeon Public School. McKennah is 9 and Arial is 6 and both have hearts of gold. They are about to take part in an amazing act of selflessness and generosity. Pedal for Hope has come to their school as part of a yearly cycling tour that raises money for pediatric cancer research. Officers pedal for 3 weeks on their holiday time and visit up to 50 schools, involving the kids in one of Canada's biggest fundraisers for pediatric cancer research. They deliver serious messages about healthy living, anti-bullying, cancer prevention and community involvement. They also engage in a lot of fun and silliness, with frozen yogurt eating contests and hilarious skits to deliver cancer prevention tips. The students do the hard work and deserve full credit for the success of this tour which will cross the 5 million dollar mark in this, its 14th year. The cops were blown away by the sacrifice made by these two young girls. For many weeks, they collected pledges from friends, family, and neighbors, with McKennah being the school's top fundraiser at over $2,400. Arial also raised a very impressive $1,100. Together, they raised more than one third of the school's total of $9,000. With a student population of roughly 250, this total is staggering. Students have fun events, fundraising activities, and shave their heads to collect pledges in order to raise money. In 14 years, Pedal for Hope, and the students who take part have raised 4.8 million dollars for the cause. Students team up with the cops and their communities and learn that one person can make a difference in the lives of others and that together, the impact is even greater. These two girls are making an incredible sacrifice by cutting their pony tails and donating their hair to make wigs for young cancer patients who have lost their hair as a result of chemotherapy. For a boy to shave his head for the cause is impressive enough, but for girls, the sacrifice is even more meaningful. It became quite emotional for the girls and for their mothers as the hair came off. Tears of pride flowed and were quickly followed by smiles as the crowd cheered the girls on. Both held their ponytails high for all to see before passing them to the officers. The girls received a hat that bears the Pedal for Hope logo as well at the Canadian Cancer Society logo. This hat cannot be bought or won. Only a person who has sacrificed their hair can proudly sport one of these. Officers will continue to ride until no parent has to hear those awful words: "Your child has cancer". None of this would be possible without kids like McKennah and Arial. They are true heroes.
