Hundreds of high school students in Kitchener came together to raise thousands of dollars for cancer research. St. Mary’s High School held its biennial Relay For Life walk on Thursday. “We have almost 500 students raising money for the Canadian Cancer Society, so it’s a pretty special day,” said Shawna Kropf, a teacher at the school who helps organize the event. The school began hosting the fundraiser in 2018 and has raised over $400,000 through the years. This year’s goal was set at $55,000, but the students surpassed expectations. “This year, we’re going to be close to, maybe over $60,000,” Kropf said. By the end of the day, $61,000 was raised. Cause hits close to home for top fundraiser This year’s top fundraiser was Grade 10 student Ava Middonti, who amassed roughly $1,400. It’s a cause dear to her heart considering her history with the disease. “When I was ten, I got diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, which is a type of bone cancer,” she told CTV News. “I battled for a year-and-a-half and I’m cancer free now.” Middonti spent the day with her friends enjoying the various activities spread across the high school’s field and reflected on her previous battle. “It was kind of hard because it was during COVID, so I was a bit isolated. It was always just me and my mom in the hospital room every day. So, it got a bit lonely at times.” Her mother was also at the event to celebrate people who are still fighting cancer or who are in remission or recovery. “I’m so proud of her for making it this far. We’re almost at the five-year post-diagnosis and this day is very emotional,” said Nancy Margetts, Ava’s mom. Student-led initiative Students predominately organized the event, with some help from faculty. “It’s just really about being part of something much bigger than yourself. It’s just so beautiful to see the impacts of this on such a large scale,” said Sean Mendes, a Grade 11 student. Representatives from the Canadian Cancer Society also travelled to attend the relay and shared their thanks for the ongoing support. “There’s that mentality about, ‘What are the youth possible of doing?’ And creating the change that they do is incredibly important and remarkable,” said Allie Raper, the manager of signature programs with the Canadian Cancer Society. “This is just evidence of that here today.” The fundraising walk happens at hundreds of schools across the country every year and puts those with experience fighting cancer at the forefront. “All I wished was for [Ava] to have a normal teenage life. On August 16th, she’s going to have her sweet sixteen and it’s a huge milestone for us in so many ways,” Margetts said.
