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<p>KINGSTON TWP. &#8212; After doing several laps around the parking lot outside of Small Wonders Day Care, Bella Fuhr, 5, and Aaron Kostelnik, 4, took a break and parked their bikes near a water station for a drink and a popsicle.</p><p>&#8220;I rode around four times,&#8221; Kostelnik said. &#8220;No crashes.&#8221;</p><p>The duo was among 50 children who participated in Small Wonders Day Care&#8217;s 18th annual Trike-A-Thon Monday, May 9. The event is a fundraiser benefiting St. Jude Children&#8217;s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, said Linda Somoga, executive director at Small Wonders.</p><p>The center&#8217;s 3- to 6-year-olds enjoyed showing off their bikes and trikes plus their personal style by wearing bicycle helmets that included My Little Pony, a Stegosaurus and Ninja Turtle designs. The children&#8217;s parents had to complete a sponsor sheet and bring in their son&#8217;s or daughter&#8217;s bicycle and helmet.</p><p>&#8220;He (Aaron) was so excited for today,&#8221; Kim Kostelnik, Aaron&#8217;s mother, said. &#8220;He could not wait.&#8221;</p><p>Fuhr pedaled her way around five times and was proud that her bike has a seat on the back for her baby doll.</p><p>At the end of Monday, the child care facility collected $1,350 in sponsorship dollars for the hospital.</p><p>&#8220;Families have until the end of the week to turn in their pledges,&#8221; Somoga said. &#8220;To date, Small Wonders Day Care raised $27,000 for St. Jude Children&#8217;s Research Hospital.</p><p>Somoga uses the event as a teaching tool to help the center&#8217;s children understand the importance of helping others who are sick.</p><p>&#8220;Children should not have to live with cancer,&#8221; she said.</p><p>The charity is near to the administrator&#8217;s heart when a child she knew was diagnosis with the disease years ago. Since then, the lessons through St. Jude&#8217;s Trike-A-Thon were incorporated into the center&#8217;s curriculum.</p><p>&#8220;We explained (to the children) how St. Jude&#8217;s children are different from them when they get sick,&#8221; said Lynn Jumper, a pre-kindergarten teacher at Small Wonders Day Care. &#8220;It is not the same as having a cold.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;The kindergarten students are more inquisitive and understand more and want to help,&#8221; Somoga said.</p><p>The pre-school children also grasped the lesson so well that when a bunch of multi-colored balloons tied to a chair for the outdoor event broke free, 5-year-old Jeffrey Dickson yelled out, &#8220;Go to St. Jude&#8217;s!&#8221;</p><p>The youngsters also learned bicycle safety through the Trike-A-Thon program.</p><p>Children received a small coloring book emphasizing the following safety lessons:</p><p>&#8226; always wear a bike helmet,</p><p>&#8226; never ride a bike or trike in the street,</p><p>&#8226; be careful riding near driveways, and</p><p>&#8226; always watch where you are riding.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Small Wonders Day Care in Shavertown hosted its 18th annual Trike-A-Thon Monday, May 9, benefiting St. Jude Children&#8217;s Research Hospital. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_TDP-05152016Small-wonder-bike-race-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Small Wonders Day Care in Shavertown hosted its 18th annual Trike-A-Thon Monday, May 9, benefiting St. Jude Children&#8217;s Research Hospital. </caption0><photoCredit0>Charlotte Bartizek | For Dallas Post </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_TDP-05152016Small-wonder-bike-race-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Nora Banks a student at Small Wonders Day Care in Shavertown leans into a bike turn during the 18th annual St. Jude&#8217;s Trike-A-Thon Monday, May 9. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_TDP-05152016Small-wonder-bike-race-2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Nora Banks a student at Small Wonders Day Care in Shavertown leans into a bike turn during the 18th annual St. Jude&#8217;s Trike-A-Thon Monday, May 9. </caption1><photoCredit1>Charlotte Bartizek | For Dallas Post </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_TDP-05152016Small-wonder-bike-race-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Miles Wilson, left, and Jerry McAvoy enjoy a Trike-A-Thon for St. Jude Children&#8217;s Research Hospital at Small Wonders Day Care in Shavertown. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_TDP-05152016Small-wonder-bike-race-3.jpg</photo2><caption2>Miles Wilson, left, and Jerry McAvoy enjoy a Trike-A-Thon for St. Jude Children&#8217;s Research Hospital at Small Wonders Day Care in Shavertown. </caption2><photoCredit2>Charlotte Bartizek | For Dallas Post </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_TDP-05152016Small-wonder-bike-race-4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Pre-Schooler, Nolan Cote is determined to keep his bike on track at Small Wonders Day Care&#8217;s annual Trike-A-Thon benefitting St. Jude Children&#8217;s Research Hospital. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_TDP-05152016Small-wonder-bike-race-4.jpg</photo3><caption3>Pre-Schooler, Nolan Cote is determined to keep his bike on track at Small Wonders Day Care&#8217;s annual Trike-A-Thon benefitting St. Jude Children&#8217;s Research Hospital. </caption3><photoCredit3>Charlotte Bartizek | For Dallas Post </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_TDP-05152016Small-wonder-bike-race-5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">St. Jude Children&#8217;s Research Hospital&#8217;s annual Trike-A-Thon fundraiser at Small Wonders Day Care in Shavertown offered lessons in empathy and bicycle safety for nearly 50 pre-school and kindergarten children Monday, May 9. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_TDP-05152016Small-wonder-bike-race-5.jpg</photo4><caption4>St. Jude Children&#8217;s Research Hospital&#8217;s annual Trike-A-Thon fundraiser at Small Wonders Day Care in Shavertown offered lessons in empathy and bicycle safety for nearly 50 pre-school and kindergarten children Monday, May 9. </caption4><photoCredit4>Charlotte Bartizek | For Dallas Post </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Small Wonders Day Care holds benefit for children&#8217;s hospital</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Eileen Godin</p><p>egodin@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Eileen Godin at 570-991-6387 or on Twitter @TLNews.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

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Tykes on trikes: Small Wonders Day Care hosts benefit for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital