Preschoolers pedal for playground funds

The parking lot at Discoveryland Preschool on Monday swarmed with children on tricycles, scooters, even small pedal-driven fire engines, as their parents looked on behind camcorders and digital cameras.

In its second year, the “Wheel-A-Thon” is the one major fundraiser for Discoveryland, which is managed by the Glendale Adventist Medical Center Children’s Services.

“This year we’re doing it to raise money for things in our playground,” said Somer Gonzalez, director of the school.

Parents can either sponsor their children or collect sponsorship money from friends and family, with this year’s proceeds going toward sandboxes and sealant for playground decks, she said.

“We try for $75 a family, but it’s mostly up for what people can do,” she said.

And though the Wheel-A-Thon is not technically a race, the impromptu circular track in the middle of the parking lot told a different story.

Four-year-old Alonso Coaguila had a bit of an advantage, push-footing past his classmates on a sleek razor scooter, which gave him more maneuverability than your average Wheel-A-Thoner. Alonso zigzagged through the circling field of riders, stopping occasionally on the sidelines for a mouthful of water from his mother, Cristina Coaguila.

Parent Sharon Raghavachary also stood by with reinforcements as her 3-year-old twins, Becky and Josh, made their way around the track.

Josh weaved in and out of the loop on a tricycle while his sister hugged the middle, pedaling a fire engine.

“They’re going to get so worn out — it’s perfect,” Raghavachary said. “Why can’t they do this every day? Then we can just get them home and put them to bed.”

The children wheeled around the track for about 30 minutes.

“Some of them keep going until we make them stop,” she said.

Besides fun and fundraising, the event was also a way to teach the children about bicycle safety, she said. Not only were the children required to wear helmets, but teachers talked all last week about staying safe on bikes.

Last year’s event raised about $3,000 to purchase about 45 rest cots for the school.