Sycamore boy’s cancer remission celebrated with 100-plus biker parade to St. Charles: ‘It’s a miracle’

SYCAMORE – Sycamore 2-year-old Oliver Olinger’s life looks a lot different now than at this time last year, his mom, Sami Olinger, said.

For one, Oliver and his family received a police escort alongside about 150 motorcycle riders from Sycamore to St. Charles on Sunday to visit the St. Charles Motorcycle Museum.

For another, Oliver’s acute myeloid leukemia, a type of blood cancer, is in remission. It’s been almost a year since he came home from an eight-month hospital stay.

“I feel like it’s just so special, especially because we’re coming up on a year cancer free and done with treatment,” Sami Olinger said Sunday in front of the Sycamore Public Library, where bikers showed up en masse to support her son. “So I feel like it’s just such a great way to celebrate that.”

Oliver was diagnosed on his first birthday, endured five rounds of chemotherapy and 75 blood transfusions.

“And of course, after treatment comes the anxieties of relapse and whatnot, so there’s just so much unknown afterwards,” Sami Olinger said. “But now to be here, celebrating, we just had his 1-year, post-treatment appointment, and he’s still cancer free.”

A shy Oliver clung to Dad Nathan, who said his son is obsessed with “anything with wheels.” Sister Maive, who turns 6 on Friday, hoped to see a pink motorcycle, her mom said. Sami is eight months pregnant, expecting her third child and Oliver’s newest sibling.

“The one thing that we have learned from this journey is that there’s bad times, but we’ve learned how good people are. Just having all of you show up for us and our family and Oliver is mind-blowing to us. We can’t thank you guys enough.”

—  Sami Olinger

St. Charles resident Shawn Campbell, who followed Oliver’s journey through social media updates, connected with the Olinger family and local biker safety advocate Chris Hansen. Together, they organized Sunday’s trip.

Motorcycles of all kinds filled the library parking lot and spilled over to the lot across the road, mingling until it was time to go. Most were strangers to the Olinger family.

“I think this is awesome,” Nathan Olinger said. “I don’t have words, to be honest. I think it’s crazy that there’s this many people that still care about other people, especially in a world of chaos.”

Hansen called Sunday’s turnout fantastic, and said he hadn’t been sure what to expect. Hansen is president of the DuKane chapter of A Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education Illinois. His group was joined by biker groups from across the region, including the Lions Club and Indian Riders from Elgin.

Hansen said he was inspired to celebrate Oliver’s journey and is always looking for ways to give back to the community.

“To see a success story, the family was showing me pictures just from a year ago,” Hansen said. “To see where he’s at now, it’s a miracle.”

Authorities with the Kane County Sheriff’s Office and Illinois State Police escorted the motorcycle brigade and Olinger family to St. Charles. Police from Sycamore, Campton Hills and St. Charles helped block intersections along the way.

“Very very happy we get to do this rally,” Hansen said. “It’s a good day.”

The motorcade arrived in St. Charles about 12:30 p.m., led by museum owner Andy Koczwara.

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Sycamore boy Oilver Olinger, 2, and Dad Nathan Olinger, get a ride in a sidecar with Andy Koczwara outside Sycamore Public Library Sunday, June 22, 2025. More than 100 bikers plus law enforcement escorted Olinger to the St. Charles Motorcycle Museum to celebrate the boy's cancer remission. (Karen Naess for Shaw Local News Network)

The parking lot of the museum was filled with people waiting to welcome Oliver and his family. A food truck, DJ and an armored vehicle from the Kane County Sheriff’s Office were there.

When the Olinger family arrived, Oliver was greeted with cheers and given gifts and words of encouragement from hundreds of supporters.

Inside the museum, guests enjoyed live music and libations from the museum’s bar. At 1 p.m., organizers gathered the crowd to say a few words about the Olinger family and Oliver’s triumph.

Campbell opened with a prayer and thanked everyone for coming to support Oliver. She said the turnout was better than she could have hoped.

Koczwara and his wife gifted Oliver a painting of a motorcycle he got on a recent trip to Italy. He became emotional when presenting the artwork to Oliver.

“I don’t think there is a better cause for bringing riders together,” Koczwara said. “This is absolutely out of my mind.”

Hansen said the turnout was far more than expected and said he was honored to be a part of it.

“This is more than we expected, this is phenomenal,” Hansen said.

Campbell also presented a gift basket from St. Charles Mayor Clint Hull, who was not in attendance, on behalf of the city. The gift included toys and an official junior officer badge from the St. Charles Police Department.

Kane County Sheriff’s Deputy Susan Deuchler presented Oliver with a gift bag from the sheriff’s office, including a K-9 hat, his own badge, coloring books and special coins. Deuchler told Oliver’s family in Sycamore that the day was especially meaningful to her: She’s had her own cancer journey to endure.

“It’s kind of dear to me to be here,” Duechler told Oliver’s mom. “This summer, I found out I had cancer in my leg and I just went through surgery and treatment, so I get it. I’m honored to be out here for him [Oliver].”

The crowd in the museum erupted in cheers and applause when Sami Olinger reported that Oliver’s 1-year, post-treatment appointment June 20 revealed he is still cancer free.

Sami Olinger said the community’s support has been beyond any expectation, and was a powerful reminder.

“The one thing that we have learned from this journey is that there’s bad times, but we’ve learned how good people are,” Sami Olinger said. “Just having all of you show up for us and our family and Oliver is mind-blowing to us. We can’t thank you guys enough.”