Sudbury high school kicks off annual fundraiser in honour of teen who died of cancer

Sudbury’s Lockerby Composite School held a pep rally on Tuesday to kick off an annual fundraiser it has held for decades.

The pep rally is a high-energy event involving participation from students and teachers showcasing their creativity, leading up to the evening where teams canvas the city to get donations.

"There's a lot of great things that happen at Lockerby Composite School and this is certainly one of them," said school principal Ryan Lafreniere.

"It's about bringing not only the school community together, but the Sudbury community to really support things that are happening in and around Sudbury."

Now in its 29th year, the Kids Caring for Kids Cancer Drive raises funds for the Northern Cancer Foundation.

It was started in 1995 by Laura Cotesta, a Lockerby student who was battling a rare form of cancer. At eight years old, Laura was diagnosed with a spinal cord tumour. In Grade 11, cancer returned and she was travelling back and forth to Toronto due to a lack of services in northern Ontario at the time.

Laura’s mother, Pina, has been involved in the fundraiser every year.

"Her tumour had come back and she was heavily involved in student council and in different groups at the school. And they were looking for, something that they could raise money for within our community," she said.

Sudbury’s Lockerby Composite School held a pep rally on Tuesday to kick off an annual fundraiser it has held for decades. (Amanda Hicks/CTV News)

"She was just very vocal on the needs that were needed, for you to stay close to home. So, it involved trying to still stay in school. It also involved trying to get your treatments done. It involved trying to stay with your family. So, these were just all programs that just hadn't initiated yet."

Laura passed away in 1997 and the fundraiser was named in her honour a year later. The cancer drive has gone on to raise $1 million for cancer care in the north.

Last year alone, the event raised $42,000 and has seen high student participation over the years.

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Grade 12 students Anna Svalina and Francesca Battistoni are co-chairs of the cancer drive. Both said they got involved because they enjoy giving back to the community.

"You feel good about yourself when you get back to the community," Battistoni said.

Seeing participation from grades nine through 12, Svalina said most students are involved in the fundraiser right from when they enter high school.

“Young grades, especially Grade 9s, when they join that first year, they're going to see how awesome that energy at that night is and that feeling of giving back to the community," she said.

"Hopefully they continue all through high school. And then as they grow older, they have that. So, I think giving back to the community is a huge, huge deal."

Cotesta said she enjoys seeing student enthusiasm for the fundraiser that helps keep her daughter’s memory alive.

"I think (Laura) would be very proud because we know that there was nothing here before," she said.

"Now we do have a lot of services available for pediatric cancer care here in Ontario, here at our own hospital on Ramsey Lake Road."

On Oct. 24 from 5-9 p.m., student/teacher teams will be canvassing Sudbury neighbourhoods, going door-to-door, asking for donations.

Donations can also be made online.