Two ChristmasWithoutCancer Bikes Bring A Little Something Extra

The opening-day guesses to win the annual Christmas bike contest always range in number from one to 1 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 win a new bike to celebrate the ChristmasWithoutCancer finishing efforts during the season of giving. Guesses are free.

The two winning guesses will be announced Friday, December 21 at Little Something Extra Bakery/Cafe in Oak Lawn and bike pickup will be the next day at Park Schwinn Cyclery in Evergreen Park.

“We have more bike pickups the Saturday before Christmas than any day of the year,” said John DeBolt. “What fun for a little boy and girl to come in and pick out their bikes before Santa arrives.”

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. The sponsors all get services from the same printer, Print Mart in Oak Lawn, so choosing a design and print team was easy.

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.

Youngsters queue up to eyeball the glass jar and venture a guess on how many coffee beans are displayed. An example bike and the jar on display in the bakery with for patrons to place guesses before closing time Friday, December 21 at 2 p.m.

Each slip of paper will be viewed to identify the closest guesses by one boy and one girl, who will be contacted Friday and invited to pick out a bike Saturday morning at Park Schwinn.

“We will take second guesses from anyone who wants to visit the bakery between now and December 21,” said Maria owner of Little Something Extra Bakery. Second and third place prizes will be gift packages from the presenting sponsors.

Last year’s winner was a toddler who was awarded her first bike ever and Park Schwinn “tricked out” the bike to include training wheels.

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. The new location in Oak Lawn expands Christmas Without Cancer’s reach in efforts to “give back.”

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.