Stars of the bicycle motor cross world visited Mt. Hope High School Wednesday, Sept. 23, for a series of performances when they put their abundant skills on display while attempting to spread a message of tolerance and understanding to the students.

Pupils gathered for one-hour assemblies in the gymnasium, the first for freshmen and sophomores earlier Wednesday morning then later before lunchtime with juniors and seniors.

The "No Hate Tour" is in its 26th year of bringing professional BMX athletes to high schools across Rhode Island and Massachusetts for what are called "interactive assemblies that pairs captivating stunts with meaningful conversations about kindness, resilience, mental health and bullying prevention."

The program is visiting over 250 schools in 50 cities during its current 2026–2027 loop. The group spent the last week in the area, bookending stops at Johnston High, Cranston West, Woonsocket High and Pathfinder Tech in Palmer, Mass., around its visit to Mt. Hope. To date, the tour has visited more than 3,000 schools and reached over 5.2 million students across the country.

Mt. Hope High School Dean of Students Erik Bennett said he reached out to the tour organizers in April of this year, seeking to get on its upcoming schedule after reading about what the athletes do and, more importantly, what they have to say.

"It was something I was always interested in bringing to my schools," Bennett continued. "It's a great mix of high flying, captivating action coupled with a fantastic message of kindness, respect and believing in themselves."

The No Hate Tour features professional athletes, including X Games veterans Morgan Wade, Trevor Meyer, Zach Newman and Dane Beardsley. Though they use their skills to engage with the students, their efforts are more about sharing their personal experiences of overcoming adversity, building confidence and developing resilience.

"We love sharing our passion with students and showing them that finding something they’re passionate about can help them deal with the stress of everyday life," said Beardsley.

In preparation for the performance, staff at MHHS planned themed offerings for students in the days leading up to the assemblies as a means of educating them on what the No Hate Tour was really all about, what the athletes were attempting to communicate.

Bennett said staff emphasized the tour's anti-bullying message on the Monday before the event. The behavioral health team staffed an informational table during lunches promoting anti-bullying education in which students were read a scenario and had to answer questions about it. Students who took part were given anti-bullying bracelets, stickers and other swag.

This was followed up on Tuesday with a "chalk party" in front of the school where students used sidewalk chalk to share inspirational messages of respect and kindness that all students would pass on their way in and out of the building. After the assemblies on Wednesday students were treated to a lunch time ice cream truck, provided by sponsors PETA2 and the United States Marines.

Bennett said the timing of the No Tour visit "aligns perfectly" with the introduction of Mt. Hope High School's newly rebranded core values centered around the concept of respect: "Respect for Self; Respect for Others; Respect for Community; Respect for Property & Environment; and Respect for Learning."

The event, he added, "leaned heavily into the first two categories of respect for self and respect for others."