Students spin their wheels to help

Elgin Park Secondary students are putting a new spin on supporting a cause.

The teens are gearing up to host a 12-hour spin-a-thon June 3, to raise awareness of Type 1 diabetes and money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

The Cyclebetes 2009 event will take place at the 13484 24 Ave. school from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The students are inviting teams of up to 12 people to sign on to collect pledges and take turns spinning relay-style on a stationery bike. As of Monday, 32 teams were registered to ride.

The teens hope to raise $30,000 over the course of the day, and are encouraged by results of a similar event held recently at a West Vancouver school.

Rockridge Secondary raised more than $110,000 during a 24-hour spin-a-thon that brought 75 teams together for the cause.

Both events were inspired by the efforts of Team H2V Coast to Coast, a group of riders who, in 2007, cycled 6,000 kilometres over eight days to raise money for JDRF.

That 2007 initiative grew from a father’s promise to find a cure for juvenile diabetes before his daughter, who has the disease, turns 18.

Elgin organizers are further motivated by the fact at least eight students at the high school are living with juvenile diabetes, a disease in which the pancreas does not produce the hormone insulin. Potential health complications include kidney failure, blindness and heart attack.

Grayden Quinn’s brother Mason was diagnosed at 18 months old. The now-Grade 8 student looks like any other teen in the hallways, but the disease has been life-changing, said his older brother.

“Everything sort of has revolved around that,” Quinn said.

“We can’t go on a vacation without having to worry about it.”

It was members of the school’s Impact Team that came up with the spin-a-thon idea for Elgin. Enthusiasm quickly spread to include students from the leadership team, student council and more.

Organizers hope teams from throughout the community will sign on, and even challenge each other, to go the distance. They’re also challenging their peers at other Peninsula high schools to enter teams.

Teacher Sue Janzen said Cyclebetes will be a legacy for Elgin. She’s been impressed by the students’ commitment.

“There’s nothing in it for them other than they’re cool kids wanting to make a difference,” she said.

To register a team, e-mail grayden.quinn@hotmail.com or call 604-538-8790. To donate or offer sponsorship, contact Janzen at janzen_s@sd36.bc.ca or 604-538-6678.

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