Melville Teen Plans Free Skate For Cancer Families

The Walker family was one of many to attend the second annual Skate for Gold event last year.

By Andrew Wroblewski
awroblewski@longislandergroup.com

The Whip Pediatric Cancer movement is bringing its third annual Skate for Gold event to the Dix Hills Ice Rink this weekend.

Whip Pediatric Cancer, a movement founded by Melville-teen Jordan Belous to help families affected by the disease, has been hosting the free skate for families affected by pediatric cancer for the past three years.

Families enjoy a morning full of skating, hot chocolate, face painting, tattoos, a photo booth and snacks.

Youth hockey players have volunteered their time to help assist those who take to the ice.

The skate kicks off at 10 a.m., Sunday and will run through 12 noon. Call 631-445-8705 for more info.

Since it was founded in August 2015, Whip Pediatric Cancer has raised $165,503 for pediatric cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The movement has 65,759 Facebook followers.

In 2016, Belous launched the Heart of Gold program for children in schools to get involved raising awareness and funds for pediatric research. Over 2,500 schools across the country are participating in the program.

Belous, a Half Hollow Hills High School East grad, is now a freshman at Michigan State University, where she’s studying pre-med. She continues to run the foundation from college and visits pediatric cancer patients at home or in the hospital when she can.