Students at Lockerby Composite School kicked off the 31st annual Kids Caring for Kids Cancer Drive on Oct. 1 with a motivational assembly in support of pediatric cancer care at Health Sciences North. The campaign, which began in 1995, has raised more than $1.1 million for pediatric oncology at the Shirley and Jim Fielding Northeast Cancer Centre at Health Sciences North. Last year’s drive raised $42,700, with the campaign reaching the $1 million mark in 2023. The event was renamed in 1998 in memory of former Lockerby student Laura Cotesta, who died in 1997 after battling a rare form of cancer. Legacy that continues Principal Ryan Lafraniere opened the assembly by thanking students, staff and the community for three decades of support. “It’s been 31 years, 31 years since Vikings have gone out into the community to raise funds for Sudburians and for kids who are fighting cancer and I cannot thank for the last 30 years all of the participants of our cancer drive,” he said. Lafraniere also acknowledged Laura Cotesta’s family, including her mother Pina, who attended the assembly. “I also want to take the time to thank this morning: Health Sciences North Foundation and to help recognize our 31st anniversary of the Kids Caring for Kids Cancer Drive, I want to introduce and thank Laura Cotesta’s mother, Pina, as well as her family that is in the front row today,” he said. Lafraniere said the drive remains central to the school’s identity. “As we prepare to go out on canvas on October 29th for our Kids Caring for Kids Cancer Drive, I think it’s important for us to remember that our cancer drive defines us as individuals, it defines us as a school community, and it defines us as Vikings as we go out and support Sudburians because that’s what we do as Vikings,” said the principal. ‘A tradition, a legacy’ Pina Cotesta told students the fundraiser has always been about more than money. “For 31 years, this school and this community has come together for something much bigger than a fundraiser,” she said. Cotesta described her daughter as a student who loved figure skating, dance and student council. Laura was first diagnosed with cancer at age eight. The disease returned for a fifth time in Grade 11, requiring treatment in Toronto. “She wanted children to be able to stay home, closer to their families, their friends, and their communities during one of the most difficult times in their lives,” Cotesta said. She said Laura took her questions to student council, her principal, hospital administrators and community leaders. “People listened because Laura wasn’t talking about something she had simply read about. She was living it. Her story connected people. Her questions started conversations, and momentum began to build. 31 years later, that momentum is still moving forward,” Cotesta said. The mother urged students to carry that legacy forward on canvassing night. “Today, Laura’s legacy is in your hands. You may never know the exact moment you make a difference in someone’s life. You may never see the impact of one kind word, one courageous choice, or an act of caring. But you do get to choose how you show up,” she said. Funds support care closer to home Dr. Andrew Pearce, a radiation oncologist at HSN, explained to students how money raised by the drive has improved pediatric cancer care in Sudbury. “When a child has cancer, they need a lot of tests. They need a lot of doctors to come see them, nurses to come see them and many times in the hospital, patients go from place to place to place and the hospital the adult areas are not supported,” he said. “One of the things that’s been done with money raised by Lockerby is to create spaces where families and children are supported.” Pearce said the funds also help purchase pediatric-specific equipment that keeps families from travelling to Toronto for care. “A child, if they need a scope done, it’s a smaller scope, it’s different. So a lot of equipment has to be purchased so that we don’t have to send people to Toronto for care,” he said. Pearce also described advances in treatment, including immunotherapy and proton therapy, that have improved cure rates. “When we put all these technologies together, cure rates are higher than they’ve ever been. The level of support these families and children are receiving is as good as we know how to make it,” he said. Community support Sudbury MPP Jamie West, a Lockerby graduate, praised the school’s long-standing commitment. “There’s a legacy in this city of putting our mind to something and getting it done. And that is something you’re inheriting and you’re demonstrating right now, that 31 years ago, someone had an idea that we should do something for Laura. We should do it in their name,” West said. Mayor Paul Lefebvre also addressed students, noting the campaign’s impact. “A million dollars that has been raised over a million dollars for the last 30 years. That is making a massive difference in our communities. Congratulations to all of you who have participated and all of you who will participate in the next cancer drive,” Lefebvre said. October events The assembly outlined a month of fundraising activities that include a Count Me In event, merchandise sales, a hot dog day, a pie-in-the-face event, a charity dinner at Mazi by Kouzzina and a Sudbury Wolves game. Updates will be shared on the school Cancer Drive Instagram account. Lockerby students will canvass door-to-door across Greater Sudbury on Oct. 29, with a thank-you assembly planned at the school on Oct. 30.
