Sellers pads Russell’s cancer fund

Sellers RV sponsored a second annual barbecue fundraiser on Saturday to support the Great Cycle Challenge ride for kids’ cancer in August by Jarrod Russell (second from left), which brought out his extended family members to help out. Geoff Lee Meridian Source

 

Lloydminster kids’ cancer fighter, Jarrod Russell heads into his 7th annual Great Cycle Challenge on Monday with a jumpstart to his $15,000 fundraising goal for the SickKids Foundation.

The 46-year-old childhood brain cancer survivor is into his final week of training rides with a $1,870 boost from the proceeds of the second-annual Sellers RV barbecue on Saturday.

Russell starts his daily fundraising rides in August having raised more than $178,000 from past rides.

“It’s great,” said Russell about the fresh support from Sarah Sellers.

“I went to school with Sarah and she was on board with everything. It’s a pleasure to have a person who wants to help kids with cancer.”

Sellers says she is glad to help out, having known Russell and his family for so many years.

“I’m just grateful that we can be a part of this. I think what he’s doing is a major thing. I’m just grateful just to be a part of it,” said Sellers.

She also remembers him from elementary school as being a good kid. 

“He was just really resilient all through school and did his thing. He’s a special individual for sure,” she added.

Russell was diagnosed with a brain tumour when he was just four and is still battling the side effects of his cancer treatment. 

He has epilepsy and partial paralysis on his right side and limited movement of his arm, fingers and legs.

Russell admittedly heads into this year’s cycle challenge a little bit worse for wear than normal.

“The month of June and most of July was pretty rough for me. I had a mild concussion and I had 10 stitches across my eyebrow (due to a fall),” he said.

His sister Lana Lane says COVID-19 wasn’t kind to Jarrod as he lost some conditioning due to being inactive during a lot of that time.

“His right side, I think has weakened over the last couple of years, so that foot is a little more draggy, so he catches it more when he’s walking,” she explained.

“This year will be a challenging ride because, physically, I don’t think he is where he was before. It’s going to be a lot of hard work for him this year.”

Despite that, Lane says the cause he’s riding for is something that is near and dear to his heart.

“We know it benefits families and kids at the end of the day, so if we can support Jarrod, I think it’s a wonderful thing to do,” she said.

Russell’s physical condition, however; won’t slow his commitment to helping fund a cure for kids’ cancer.

“I’m going to ride until cancer is done,” said Russell, who plans to ride 1,200 km for six-year-old Ben Stelter from Edmonton. He’s also cycling in memory of Braxton Wiedman, who he supported last year. 

The 10-year-old Alabama boy died from brain cancer earlier this year.

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Geoff Lee
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