November 1, 2000
Cancer Drive 6 KIDS CARING FOR KIDS: REMEMBERING
The collective positive efforts and ideas of past years were employed once again. Businesses willingly offered their support – from coin jar locations, to pizzas, to snacks and drinks. On the evening of the blitz, teams were assigned streets within the city – covering even more areas of the city with the increased number of student volunteers. Armed with their maps, receipt books, identifying badges, and youthful spirit. Approximately 400 students raised $26,000 in just over three hours!
Cancer Committee under Principal Mr. Bruce Hatton:
o Melissa Cotesta and Jessica Cardona (LCS Student Co-Chairs)
The Cancer Drive Committee presenting their cheque to Heart & Soul Campaign
o Lockerby Composite Student Council
o Ms. Ada Della Penta (LCS Student Council Advisor)
o Ms. Shari Blasutti (LCS Student Council Advisor)
o Mr. Mike Cole (LCS Staff)
o Ms. Laura Stanyon (LCS Staff)
o Mr. Dave Bertrim (LCS Staff)
The community involvement was also expanding. Individuals made a point of making donations to the LCS Cancer Drive and wrote “Thank you letters” to the students via The Sudbury Star;they applauded the students’ volunteer efforts and their commitment to helping children with cancer.
With every passing cancer drive, even more students wanted to be part of this exciting event.
November 6, 2001
Cancer Drive 7 KIDS CARING FOR KIDS: REMEMBERING LAURA
In their four hours of canvassing, Lockerby students raised $25,500. Yes, they’d made an exemplary effort to make a difference in the lives of children in their own community!
By this point, Lockerby students and staff had raised over $88,000 in support of children with cancer in Northeastern Ontario. The committee continued to set a monetary goal of $10,000 for their one-night blitz, but the more important goal was to unite student and staff volunteers with Sudburians for a worthwhile local cause. Principal Bruce Hatton never lost sight of his original idea: to make students aware that they have responsibilities in the community both now and in the future. LCS students were instructed on how to conduct themselves in their interactions with the public, and Sudburians were eager to respond:
“Because of the positive response and publicity in past years, neighbours expect a knock on the door, followed by a warm greeting from students and faculty. Some individuals even have their cheques ready!” Principal Hatton recognized the positive effect of the campaign on the students: “They come back, having raised this incredible amount of money, their eyes as big as saucers. They know they’ve accomplished something – something large-scale.”
Cancer Organizing Committee under Principal Bruce Hatton:
· LCS Student Council Co-chairs Sarah Humber and Nathan Smith
· LCS Lockerby Composite School Student Council
· Mr. Mike Cole (LCS Staff Advisor)
Co-chairs Sarah and Nathan along with student council representatives organized twelve teams of teachers and over 500 students. The teams developed their own identities with unique names and a spirit of friendly competition for the right cause: remembering Laura and helping our Sudbury families facing cancer.
Nathan Smith understood too well the personal challenges that cancer presents, as he was a bone cancer survivor: “I know how important it is to have cancer treatment for kids right here close to home where they can be with family and friends during their treatment.”
November 5, 2002
Cancer Drive 8 KIDS CARING FOR KIDS: REMEMBERING LAURA
Seven years after Lockerby Composite School student Laura Cotesta lost her life to cancer, Laura was still fondly remembered in the community.
This cancer drive was a successful end for Principal Bruce Hatton’s years at Lockerby as he prepared to move into retirement. His strong belief in the development of student leadership, in volunteerism, and in addressing the challenges of cancer had resulted in an annual cancer drive that built success, year after year.
Michelle Liebrock of the Northern Cancer Research Foundation recalled Laura “was a really high-energy, enthusiastic young lady. Everybody loved her.”
LCS students took up her cause annually, intent on helping young people with cancer in the community.
Cancer Organizing Committee under Principal Bruce Hatton:
· Student Council Co-chairs Sarah Humber and Nathan Smith
· LCS Student Council
· Mr. Mike Cole (LCS Advisor)
Once again, student coordinators arranged over 500 students and teachers into twelve teams to blitz the city for over four hours in one evening. The modest goal of $10,000 was set by the organizers so that it would be a positive achievable experience. With supportive media and enthusiastic students, the effort was sure to be another successful endeavour.
Michele Liebrock acknowledged the value of this cause: yes, it raises money for cancer treatment, but it also “teaches useful leadership skills to young people.” She also recognized the personal nature of the students’ efforts: “This is about kids helping other kids they know, and I think everybody has been touched by cancer. It’s great to see kids taking action. Hats off to both the students and staff at Lockerby Secondary School.” In the previous year, over 55 children in our area had required cancer treatment. The final tally for the LCS Cancer Drive was $25,500, well over their goal. At the follow-up assembly on December 12, Sarah presented the cheque to Maureen Lacroix, representative of NCRF, with much applause and celebration from the participating students.
This cancer drive was a successful end for Principal Bruce Hatton’s years at Lockerby as he prepared to move into retirement. His strong belief in the development of student leadership, in volunteerism, and in addressing the challenges of cancer had resulted in an annual cancer drive that built success, year after year.
Hundreds of students, under his leadership, had learned how to make a positive difference in the lives of others. A total of $110,000 had been raised for paediatric programs at the Northeastern Ontario Regional Cancer Centre. His example had set a high standard, and he knew that young people were ready to learn even beyond the classroom. In fact, the lessons of leadership, empathy, and good will learned and developed during cancer drives would last them a lifetime.
November 5, 2003
Cancer Drive 9 KIDS CARING FOR KIDS: REMEMBERING LAURA
For the 2003 cancer drive Co-chair Daniela Cotesta, this ninth cancer drive was personal: Laura is her sister.
“When Laura was sick, Sudbury did not have the technology or research needed to [treat] her. So, she was at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto for as long as I remember. She had to go through [many treatments] without her family being there . . . My family worked together to make her as comfortable as possible. We travelled down every weekend with homemade food, and couldn’t ask for anything more, except that she could be in Sudbury, where we could be there everyday for her.”
In short, Daniela understood the positive role that personal support plays when a child is suffering with cancer; the emotional comfort is as important as the physical treatment. She wanted her fellow students to use her sister’s cancer experience as motivation for Lockerby’s drive to help young cancer patients within their own community: “It was a very difficult time for our family during Laura’s treatment. I know now how important it is to have cancer treatment for kids right here close to home where they can be with family and friends during their treatment.”
Cancer Drive Committee under Principal Bruce Bourget:
· LCS Student Co-Chairs Daniela Cotesta and Carly Gasparini
· Mr. Mike Cole: (LCS Staff and Student Council Advisor)
· Mr. David Bertram (LCS Staff)
· Ms. Laura Stanyon (LCS Staff)
Organizers assembled fifteen teams of LCS teachers with over 500 students who were prepared to blitz the city over a four-hour period. The goal for this year’s event was raised to $15,00, a goal firmly grounded in the students’ commitment to success.
Co-chair Carly Gasparini emphasized the positive student-community interaction as the basis for this goal: “This is one time that brings together our students and our teachers for something we strongly believe in. The community’s support has been terrific every year.”
At the follow-up assembly, Principal Bourget, Daniela Cotesta and Carly Gasparini presented Michelle Liebrock, representing the Northeastern Ontario Regional Cancer Centre Foundation, with a cheque for $18,000.
“The money [raised would] help Northern families research information in the Cancer Centre Library and [would] help give us money to keep up with technologies.”
The Cancer Centre, recognizing the need to support children coping with cancer within our community, designated part of the Centre’s capital construction funds for the building of two rooms for treating children with cancer. Lockerby’s cancer fundraising was making a difference for children with cancer. Laura’s spirit was alive and the legacy of LCS Principals Bruce Hatton and Joe Drago continued to thrive.
November 3, 2004
Cancer Drive 10 KIDS CARING FOR KIDS: REMEMBERING LAURA
The tenth cancer drive. A decade of volunteer commitment from students and staff committed to supporting their community. While no longer was there a Cotesta attending Lockerby, students continued to
draw inspiration from Laura’s example and the tradition of making a difference through volunteerism and community leadership.
LCS Cancer Drive Committee under Principal Bruce Bourget:
Co-chairs Yunni Jeong and Kate Middleton (LCS Students)
Mr. Mike Cole (LCS Staff Advisor and Coordinator)
Mrs. Pina Cotesta (Community Advisor)
Ms. Jackie Balleny (Vice-Principal of LCS)
Co-chair Kate Middleton acknowledged that, “Everybody’s affected by the disease. Since it happened to be one of our students, the whole school can relate. Everyone knows how hard it hits home.” For Yunni Jeong, whose grandfather passed away suddenly from cancer, she not only co-chaired this student event but also volunteered at the cancer centre. Yunni had witnessed first-hand the difficulties families and individuals faced in dealing with cancer and understood the importance of volunteering.
At the Motivational Assembly, the Co-chairs roused the students, “Let us follow Laura’s example and do everything in our power to meet our goal of $10,000 on Cancer Drive night. . . Round up your friends and get yourselves on a team. Help make cancer history.”
Reaching out to their “Partners in the Community,” the Cancer Committee promised them that the contribution of Sudbury businesses would be “magnified substantially by the enthusiasm of our volunteers on this special evening.”
And so, they did. A total of $26,100 was raised by more than 50 staff and 420 students, under the leadership of the LCS Cancer Drive Committee. At the Thank You Assembly, the Co-chairs presented the cheque to the Northeastern Ontario Regional Cancer Centre on behalf of the students and staff of LCS as well as the community of Sudbury. Writer for Lockerby’s Viking Voice, Sam Insinna wrote: students had “presented themselves to our community with assurance, perseverance, and most of all, faith - faith in a good cause and in our student body’s ability to make an impact on the lives of those in need.”
The Rainbow Board of Education publicly recognized and applauded the achievement of Lockerby’s Cancer Drive; those congratulations were echoed by The Sudbury Star, “an outstanding and uplifting school effort.”
To date, the cancer drive had raised $175,000; and students had added four more volunteer hours to their student records. Yet, even more importantly, they had touched the lives of children and families with cancer.