Young students at MAYA school participating in a trike-a-thon.

DEARBORN — A fun day outdoors for local Muslim school kids also helped children with cancer recover without financial burdens. Students at the Muslim American Youth Academy (MAYA) raised more than $8,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital during a month-long fundraiser and a walk-a-thon and trike-a-thon.

The funds aim to assist seven or eight families with children suffering from cancer and other diseases with the means to travel, stay and receive initial treatment at the hospital.

On Wednesday, June 1, between lemonade and ice cream stands, pre-kindergarten through eighth grade students biked and walked laps on the school’s field, as parents cheered and sponsored their activities.

A 15-year-old former student, who was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 8 and is now cancer-free, also shared her “heart-warming” experience with the students. Zeinab Hamade, a teacher and administrator at MAYA, said the talk gave the youth a perspective that made their fundraising efforts “real” and taught them to be fortunate for what they have.

MAYA is private school of 260 students that teaches its students Islamic values, incorporating 35 minutes a day of Arabic and Islamic studies, aside from the required core curriculum. It ends the school day with a group prayer.

Putting values to practice, this event is an ultimate way to teach the kids empathy and giving back to their community, Hamade said.

She added that the active nature of the event pushed the students to think of charity in the form of action, rather than words only. She said that there are many local fundraisers that raise money for people within the community. The school, however, wanted to “think outside the box” and help those in need outside their own.

She added that students who raised the most money received gifts, but many of them refused to accept them and asked to donate them to children in need.

St. Jude set MAYA a goal of $1,200, but Hamade said the hospital was “shocked and impressed” when about seven-fold that amount was raised at the modest school. This was MAYA’s first time hosting the event and the hospital ranked the school among the 25 top donors nationwide this year.

Many of the donations from private and charter schools given to the hospital come from Christian ones, the administrator said.

Hosting a successful fundraiser at a Muslim school, however, is a way to break stereotypes and shine a positive light on the Muslim faith, she said – especially in a recent political climate that has promoted Islamophobia.

Hala Hazimi, MAYA’s principal, said the memorable event provided students and staff the opportunity to partake in helping support children and defeat childhood cancer.

“The students had a wonderful time walking, triking and cheering for their siblings and classmates,” Hazimi said. “Parents were there to sponsor their children and cheer them on as well as they completed each lap. This resulted in MAYA raising way more than anticipated. Inshallah, this will give a little piece of mind to the parents who shouldn’t have to worry how they are going to cover the treatment costs for their sick child.”