December 2016 brought crisp, salty air to Hengsha Island—my first time joining RAW, YKPAO School’s “Run A Way” Bicycle Club, for their charity ride. The event’s heart hung in the air: “1 kilometer ridden = 1 yuan donated” to kids with leukemia. Every pedal stroke felt like a small promise, and I set off with my dad, the island’s flat, tree-lined roads stretching ahead, sunlight dappling through the branches.
Mid-ride, we passed a small clearing where other RAW members were gathered around shovels and saplings. The club had tucked a quick tree-planting activity into the route—”A ride for hope, a tree for the future,” one volunteer said. My dad and I rolled to a stop, grabbing a sapling and a small shovel. The soil was cool and soft under my hands as I dug a shallow hole; together, we lowered the young tree in, patted the dirt firm, and gave it a splash of water from our water bottles. The sapling stood wobbly but straight, its tiny leaves glinting in the sun—like a quiet companion to the miles we’d ride, and the help we were raising for sick kids.
Not long after we got back on our bikes, a sudden “thunk” jolted my ride. I hopped off to check—my rear tire was completely flat, deflated like a wilted balloon. Disappointment pricked me; I’d barely hit the 30km mark. But my dad was already rummaging in his bag, pulling out a repair kit. He knelt in the grass, guiding me to hold the tire steady as he patched the hole, his hands calm even when grease stained his gloves. “We don’t quit over a flat,” he said, and something in his tone made me nod—especially after we’d just planted something that would keep growing, too.
Once the tire was fixed, I climbed back on, legs a little sore but resolve sharper. The wind picked up, carrying the scent of distant seafood stalls, and I focused on the rhythm of my breathing—inhale with the downstroke, exhale with the up. When the finish line finally came into view, my dad was cheering, holding up his phone to record. The screen showed my total: 54.28km.
That number wasn’t just a distance. It was 54.28 yuan for kids fighting leukemia, a lesson in not giving up, and the first time I felt how a bike ride—paired with a tiny, planted tree—could turn effort into both hope for others and life for the island.
