Little Something Extra Hosts ChristmasWithoutCancer Bike Contest

Christmas Without Cancer’s winner in last year’s bike contest “prayed for a bike” and guessed the closest number of coffee beans in the jar at Little Something Extra Bakery/Cafe in Oak Lawn.

Seemed miraculous that a kindergarten student could come within 63 of the actual count, but it happened, and she picked up her new bike the next day at Park Schwinn Cyclery in Evergreen Park, one of the contest’s sponsors.

Over the years, opening-day guesses to win the annual Christmas bike contest range in number from 10 to 100 million and that’s to be expected when parents are guessing for toddlers and grade school children are posting their own guesses.

One thing is certain: one boy and one girl will guess close enough to each win a new bike to celebrate Christmas Without Cancer’s heroic efforts during its season of giving. Guesses are free at the bakery café during open hours.

The two winning guesses will be announced Sunday, December 29 at Little Something Extra Bakery/Cafe in Oak Lawn and bike pickup will be scheduled at Park Schwinn Cyclery in Evergreen Park.

“One of my favorite days of the year is when the bike winners come in wide-eyed to choose a bike,” said Park Schwinn owner John DeBolt. “One year, a seventh-grade girl asked if her younger brother could pick out a boy’s bike because she had one and he didn’t. That was really in the spirit of Christmas. Her brother rode it right out the door.”

Little Something Extra Bakery joins long-time sponsors Christmas Without Cancer, Evergreen Park United Homeowners Association, Park Schwinn Cyclery and Figel Public Relations in this annual contest that has drawn thousands of participants.

In years past the winners have ranged in age from 2 to 14, with 8th grade as the cut off for eligibility to win. Parents and older siblings help little ones with their guesses and enter them next to the jar of coffee beans displayed at Little Something Extra Bakery at 4616 West 103rd Street in Oak Lawn in the strip mall east of Cicero.

“We even take second guesses from anyone who comes to the bakery between now and December 29,” said Maria Veal, owner of Little Something Extra Bakery.

Christmas Without Cancer, an organization started by Gerri Neylon, comes to the rescue of those impacted by cancer so the family can focus on Christmas. The Evergreen Park volunteer group identifies needs and such things as utility bills and mortgage payments, gas, parking and children in need of wrapped presents.

“The bike contest is our way of saying thanks to the surrounding communities because they are so generous in helping local families,” said Neylon.

“Our mission includes assessing need and responding, but we can’t do that if we don’t have the resources that come directly from the generosity of people in Evergreen Park, Morgan Park/Beverly, Mount Greenwood and Oak Lawn.”

Neylon reasons Christmas Without Cancer has been a success because “people know their donations are helping people locally, right now” so the family can focus on the spirit in Christmas.

For more information, call Little Something Extra Bakery at 708/552-6882 or visit www.littlesomethingextracafe.o... or email: littlesomethingextracafe@gmail.com or visit the www.ChristmasWithoutCancer.org site.