Alberta Cancer Foundation

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How St. Albert high school students bike around the clock to raise hundreds of thousands to support cancer initiatives

By Fabian Mayer
Photographs courtesy of St. Albert Public Schools

Students at Bellerose Composite High School gather for their annual Bikeathon, raising money to support people living with cancer.

For most of the year, Bellerose Composite High School is much like any other, but wander into the St. Albert school’s atrium in early March, and the scene will be anything but ordinary. You’ll be greeted by the whirring of pedals, colourful costumes and a party atmosphere that is the Bellerose Bikeathon. A 20-year-strong tradition started by a former teacher who was inspired by cancer ride fundraisers, the Bikeathon is the school’s signature event and a highlight for many students.

“It’s marked on the calendar right from the get-go,” says Michael Hutchings, a teacher at Bellerose and co-organizer of the event. “They’re so excited for it, you can feel the energy in the building.”

The Bikeathon sees teams of eight to 10 students challenge each other to ride for two days straight. Each team has one stationary bike and the goal is to keep the pedals spinning for 48 consecutive hours. Students work in shifts to cycle day and night, trading off to eat, sleep and attend classes. Roughly 550 of the school’s 1,000 or so students participated in the 2024 edition.

Even though the bikes stay in one place, each spin of the pedals moves students towards their goal of fundraising as much money as possible for charity. In the weeks and months leading up to the event, teams pound the pavement to fundraise for the Alberta Cancer Foundation and Kids with Cancer Society, raising more than $208,000 in 2024.

“Every year, it kind of blows my mind that they’ve managed the amount of money that they’ve raised,” says Hutchings. “It’s a big celebration for the hard work they do.”

Since 2004, when the event began, the school has raised more than $3.6 million through the Bikeathon. And, while there are no awards for biking the fastest or farthest, Hutchings estimates that over the years, the school has cumulatively cycled enough kilometres to get to the moon and back.

The event took on extra meaning for Hutchings when his father was diagnosed with cancer in 2007 and has since passed away. So Hutchings makes sure to find a quiet place during each Bikeathon to reflect on his father’s memory and the importance of what the school is doing. He encourages his students to do the same.

“It’s a great party, it’s fun, but take some time to think about why you’re here, what you’re doing and who you’re doing it for,” says Hutchings. “When it’s all said and done, there are tears of joy and tears of sadness.”

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Bright Mind

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Pedal Power

For most of the year, Bellerose Composite High School is much like any other, but wander into the St. Albert school’s atrium in early March, and the scene will be anything but ordinary.