He paints his Pinewood Derby car pink to raise money

 

MEGAN DAILOR

Bryan Mosbruger receives his Do The Right Thing Award from Rochester Deputy Police Chief George Markert.

CHILI — When Cub Scout Bryan Mosbruger set out to build a Pinewood Derby car with his dad this year, he probably did not have raising money for breast cancer at the top of his list of goals for his unpainted racer.

But a color scheme came to him while watching television, said his father, Gary Mosbruger.

“He was watching a TV commercial with his mom and he asked why things are pink,” he said. “She told him that pink is the color that breast cancer people use to try and raise awareness of the problem and to get people to help solve it.”

Helping people was the trigger for the 9-year-old, and when he sat down with his parents for dinner and announced that he was going to paint his Pinewood Derby car pink, it was the start of a personal campaign that eventually raised $1,000 for the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

“I was astounded or dumbfounded, I’m not sure what the right word was, but I would not have done that when I was 9 years old,” Mosbruger said.

Raising money was actually the idea of Bryan’s brother Alan, who is 12. The family, at the dinner table, first pondered the collection of pledges for wins. But they eventually decided on sponsorships and donations.

Bryan passed the bucket at the next meeting of Pack 292 and raised $70. Then he passed the bucket at the pack’s derby competition at The Mall at Greece Ridge and raised $100. And finally he took the campaign to local businesses and raised more than $800 in collection jars.

In addition to all the money he raised for cancer research, his car was the overall winner of Pack 292’s Pinewood Derby.

To Bryan, a third-grader at Fairbanks Road Elementary School, the answer as to why he took on breast cancer as a cause to support is simple.

“Many people have had (breast cancer) and so many have donated money, and (pink) is an interesting color,” he said. “I just wanted to help out other people.”

Bryan received a Do the Right Thing Award from the city of Rochester in April. At the ceremony, he and his family presented the Wilmot Cancer Center with a check for $1,000.

“Bryan is an impressive young man who is clearly learning the valuable Scouting lessons of community service and leadership,” said Dr. Kristen Skinner, director of the Comprehensive Breast Care Center at the Wilmot Cancer Center. “We are grateful for his enthusiasm.”

JBLACKWELL@DemocratandChronicle.com

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