Allegra L. ’27 Raises Awareness and Funds to Fight Blood Cancers

Every three minutes, someone in the United States is diagnosed with a form of blood cancer, and before Allegra L. ’27 was even born, this statistic touched her personally. Allegra’s mother was diagnosed with lymphoma while pregnant with her, and although she has been in remission for nearly 15 years, the impact of that diagnosis never faded. “From the time I was a baby, my mom and I would participate in Relay for Life, raising money for research and sharing information about lymphoma,” she says. “This work has always been part of my life.”

In September, her friend Sophia—a former Canterbury student—offered her another opportunity to help. 

“She asked if I would consider becoming a Blood Cancer United Student Visionary and joining her fundraising team,” she explains. “She remembered my mom’s diagnosis and thought I might be interested since I had a personal connection to blood cancers. Of course, I said yes!”

Since then, Allegra has been busy raising funds and organizing raffles for Canterbury’s annual “Hockey Fights Cancer” games on Wednesday, February 11, and Saturday, February 14. She knows her $15,000 goal is ambitious, but she’s optimistic thanks to the generosity of the Canterbury and New Milford community. 

“In January, I walked into every locally-owned store in downtown New Milford to ask if they would hang up a flyer, or if they’d be willing to contribute toward a gift basket. The response has been great,” she says. “I asked one store, Honeybee Books, if they could donate a gift card, and they actually gave a whole gift basket! I was so thankful.”

In addition to the raffles, Allegra is also taking over the School’s social media accounts for the next week. From Tuesday to Saturday, she will share important information about blood cancers to raise awareness and, hopefully, get others involved in the mission to fight these illnesses.

Over the past 50 years, five-year relative survivor rates for blood cancers have increased dramatically. Thanks to the efforts of Allegra and her national team of Student Visionaries, scientists and researchers can continue to make important breakthroughs for individuals and families facing cancer. 

“This is my way to give back to a community that gave so much to my mom,” she says. “They’re the reason both of us are here.”