The students at First Baptist Weekday School got to spend Thursday morning playing outside in the parking lot to support St. Jude’s Trike-A-Thon.

This was the culminating event for their week-long fundraising efforts.

St. Jude’s Trike-A-Thon is a service learning program for daycares and preschools that teaches trike and riding toy safety while raising money.

“We do several things to support the community and things like drives. At the end of the summer, we have a picnic, so we wanted to incorporate giving back,” said Daphne Russell, director of First Baptist Weekday School. “They get to ride bikes and enjoy the day. We even take the week to teach bike safety.”

Their goal was to raise $1,200 by Thursday, and with final donations from parents, they met their goal with a total of $1,246.

Supporting St. Jude was more than just a charity for First Baptist. Lizzie Dorschel was a long-term St. Jude patient as a child, and she is also an employee of First Baptist Weekday School.

“It’s a great charity supporting the costs of the patients there, and with Lizzie being a St. Jude patient, it hits close to home,” Russell said.

Dorschel, 25, is more than happy to see her employer raising money for a cause close to her heart.

“It’s wonderful. It makes me feel good, and I know that people care,” Dorschel said. “I hope we reach our goal, I really do.”

This is the fourth year they have done the St. Jude fundraiser, and they are happy to continue doing it every year.

“The first year was such a success that we continued. The first year we aimed for $500 and we’ve been increasing it since. We hope to meet and exceed the goal,” Russell said.

The rest of the staff was happy to participate.

“It’s great, because it makes us feel like we are doing something. Normally we aren’t feeling like we are doing enough, but it’s nice to be able to do what you love and help out a cause,” said lead teacher Breayante Giles. “The best part is the kids get to have fun and not be restricted to one activity.”