Off-road racer raises childhood cancer awareness
EL CENTRO — On Friday and Saturday, Holtville resident Mamer made his way through the annual Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series held in San Bernardino.
While the praise Mamer has received from valley residences for competing in the race is important, perhaps the support Mamer gave during the race is even more significant.
Wrapped around Mamer’s truck while competing in the Pro Lite series this weekend was the design of Meadows Union School District students Elliot Ortiz and Giada Fusi.
For the second year in a row, Mamer gave Meadows Union School District students the opportunity to draw a design for his truck, with the design promoting pediatric cancer awareness.
Promoting this specific type of cancer has been something meaningful to Mamer.
“These kids should have ways of a farther life ahead of them, so we need to find a cure, and if we can get a little support that will help people bring awareness, then you bet we’re going to do this event” expressed the off-road racer.
After going through the over500 designs entered, Mamer presented the three winning students on Wednesday during a school assembly at Meadows Union Elementary.
Luckily for Meadows students, the off-road racer decided to have two first place designs this year.
Giada, a fourth-grade student, was presented as the co-first place winner alongside Elliot, a seventh-grade student.
The fourth-grader was surprised and proud of her accomplishment, after she turned in her entry too late and wasn’t able to participate during last year’s contest.
“It felt exciting and I really didn’t know that I was going to win,” said the fourth-grader, who created an American flag design for the truck.
Surrounded by Meadows Union staff and students, Mamer reversed his racing vehicle out of a trailer, showcasing Elliot’s design.
“I’m happy, I was not expecting to win,” said Elliot on winning first place. The seventh-grader’s design was inspired by last year’s winner, a design that encompassed the universally known Superman logo.
Instead of the “S” in the middle of the logo, Elliot replaced it with a yellow ribbon and colored the entire truck in the same yellow color.
Placing in second was seventh-grader Bella Fusi.
“It’s exciting! I entered last year, but I didn’t place, I didn’t expect this at all. My design was a forest theme because you have to stay strong to get through a forest,” described Fusi on her design.
Elliot, Giada and Fusi were all given a free-paid trip to attend Mamer’s race.
Along with Mamer, his entire family finds the design contest to hold great significance.
“People know of the pink ribbon, but they don’t know of the yellow ribbon. Right now, childhood cancer only gets four percent of funding for cancer, so we’re trying to bring awareness so that they can get more funding because these kids shouldn’t have to go through this,” said Mamer’s mother Tina, who is in discussion with other racers to expand the event to other local schools.
“These kids deserve more than four percent for childhood cancer funding. Anything we can do to step it up to bring kids into this, so they know what’s going on too, it’s a great event,” Mamer explained.
For Meadows Union, childhood cancer awareness has been something actively promoted all month long.
“Not to bring any other cancer or any other awareness down, it just seems like this one doesn’t get all of the attention that it needs to,” stated Lourdes Fusi, coordinator of the design contest event, on pediatric cancer.
Prior to the contest, the school participated in a Heart of Gold fundraiser, where students purchased a paper heart, decorated it and displayed it in the cafeteria. All proceeds benefited directly towards the Holtville-based charity Halos & Tiaras.
At the end of the month, Meadows students will dress in pajamas to school to honor pediatric cancer patients during a school assembly.