Wearing a T-shirt reading “Victory is sweet, but I’m hungry for more,” Bailey Bennett did a push up on the stage in front of a gym full of students at Howard Elementary School Friday.

The Niles second-grader, who is in his second battle with brain cancer, then yelled “Geronimo” as he jumped off the stage to applause.

It was one way for him to say, “thank you” to a school that has shown him so much support the past couple years.

“Yes,” Bennett said when asked if the support makes him feel good.

His mother, Stefanie, said they learned Bailey’s brain cancer had returned in November, not long after he was considered in remission.

They began an aggressive chemotherapy program right away that seems to be working.

Stefanie said a recent scan showed her son’s brain is free of cancer, but there still remains a small spot on his spine.

“He’s doing really well,” she said. “I got that news on Good Friday. It really was a Good Friday.”

When Bailey gets chemotherapy, doctors have to place a port in his chest that acts like an IV administering the chemo. The port is placed in on a Monday and Bailey does two hours of chemo each day until Friday, when the port is removed.

To Bailey, those Fridays are “victory” Fridays because the chemo is done and the port is out.

Bailey began adding “victory” push ups to the victory Fridays.

Stefanie challenged Bailey’s classmates at Howard to do the victory push-ups as well.

Pretty soon, the whole school would do push ups on victory Friday.

Stefanie said the support they’ve received from the school and the entire community has been overwhelming.

“No one fights alone and they prove it,” she said. “It really keeps us going. I wake up every morning knowing that he is motivating so many people.”

Bailey said this Friday was the first time he did a push up with his classmates. He said it was good to be back for at least a little while.