Local Students Ride to Raise Funds for Cancer

Name: David Millette, and Casey Wagner, both 16.

School: Bancroft School, Worcester

Accomplishment: Millette and Wagner are coordinating the local PMC Shrewsbury Kids Ride, set to take place on Sunday, May 22. 

Key to Awesomeness: In an attempt to raise $10,000 for cancer research, these two sophomores spoke in front of an assembly at Bancroft School to encourage students to join the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge mission in Shrewsbury. They are coordinating a local Shrewsbury Kids Ride for children ages 2 to 15 to ride around an obstacle course around the South Street UMASS Campus lots. All proceeds will be donated to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and it's Jimmy Fund through their PMC Kids Ride.

Last year, Wagner lost her grandmother to cancer and Millette joined his family and rode the PMC’s one-day, 110-mile route from Sturbridge to Bourne.

Organizing a PMC Kids Ride is a huge undertaking for a two full-time students, who are also engaged in many extracurricular activities. Millette and Wagner spend hours on the phone and writing letters to solicit donations from area businesses including refreshments and raffle prizes for the event. Along with being honor students at Bancroft, both play varsity soccer in the fall while Millette plays lacrosse and Wagner runs track in the spring. 

Congratulations from Shrewsbury Patch for being this week's Whiz Kids. To nominate a kid or kids, E-mail jennifer.lucarelli@patch.com.