Lake County Gazette

During a week marked by a shooting at Evergreen High School and ongoing reports of violence nationwide, Westminster High School students participated in an event focused on kindness and resilience. The ASA No Hate BMX Tour visited the school on Wednesday, September 10.

The program featured professional BMX athletes performing stunts, but its main purpose was to promote messages of resilience, respect, and anti-bullying. During the event, Oscar Marquez spoke about his journey from Durango, Mexico. He shared how he decided to become a professional BMX rider after watching the X Games at age 11. Despite being discouraged by others at his local skatepark and later in Denver when he moved there at 15, Marquez persisted with his goal. Now a professional rider, he told students that persistence pays off.

The event included aerial stunts and jumps that engaged the audience. In the finale, Bobby Lindsay, The Westy media coordinator, was brought onstage as part of a stunt where a BMX rider jumped over him.

"The No Hate High School Tour is now in its 25th year and is completely free to schools."

Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 serves several schools in Lake County including Waukegan High School and multiple elementary and middle schools (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). The district has a diverse student body with nearly 80 percent Hispanic students according to state data (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). It employs over one thousand teachers with an average salary above $63,000; most are women and teacher attendance rates are high (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). In 2020, spending per student reached more than $23,000 for a total expenditure exceeding $359 million (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).