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Local Daycare’s annual Trikeathon keeps support rolling for Headwaters Health Care Centre

August 6, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Joshua Drakes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Sandbox Tech Child Care Ltd.’s annual Trikeathon has become a long-running tradition of community giving, with this year’s event once again bringing children, families and staff together to raise money for the local hospital.

Held on Thursday, July 30, the fundraiser saw Sandbox children decorate and ride their tricycles and bikes while parents, grandparents and other family members pledged donations in support of Headwaters Health Care Centre, raising $3,000.

Although the event is limited to children enrolled with Sandbox, organizer Deb Launspach said the goal has always been to teach young people the importance of helping their community while raising money for local health care.

“The whole idea is to get the whole community together for a good cause that helps people, that’s what I really like about it,” she said. “Some of the young kids have no idea the full idea behind it, but their parents do. So some parents donated some money to the hospital, and then grandparents. That’s really how it all started.”

The Trikeathon dates back more than four decades, with Launspach estimating the tradition began around 1985.

It first started when Sandbox purchased a commemorative brick during fundraising for the construction of Headwaters Health Care Centre. Inspired by that campaign, Launspach decided to create an annual fundraiser of her own.

At the time, Sandbox operated out of her home, so the very first Trikeathon took place in her driveway, where children pedalled their tricycles while families donated to the hospital.

Sandbox is now located within the same building as Montgomery Village Public School in Orangeville.

As Sandbox expanded over the years, the event moved with it, taking place at several different locations before eventually becoming part of the child care centre’s annual calendar. Even after a pause during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trikeathon returned and continues to attract strong participation from Sandbox families each year.

Launspach said the event is about more than fundraising totals. She hopes it encourages children to grow up understanding the importance of giving back and reminds families that even small donations can make a meaningful difference when combined across a community.

“In the end, it’s up to us to make the community better,” Launspach said. “We have to help each other out, we have to think about each other. If everyone in Dufferin County gave 10 bucks to Headwaters, just 10, think about the huge difference it would make. That helps them help you. It helps our community.”

While final numbers from this year’s Trikeathon are still being counted, Launspach said the event has raised over $20,000 for Headwaters Health Care Centre over its lifetime, demonstrating how decades of small contributions have added up to support local health care.

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