Two juniors at West Hartford’s Hall High School have organized a fundraiser to support the ‘Warriors for a Cure’ Relay for Life team.

Lani Davidoff (pictured) and Abby Niranjan are holding a trivia night at Hall High School to raise money for their Relay for Life team. Courtesy photo

By Ronni Newton

Teams will be competing in a trivia contest in the cafeteria of West Hartford’s Hall High School on Saturday night, but at the same time they will be raising money for a cause that is far from trivial.

Hall juniors Lani Davidoff and Abby Niranjan are co-captains of the “Warriors for a Cure” team that will participate in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life this June, and under the guidance of advisor Nicola Culmo the students have organized the school’s first trivia night event to raise money for their team.

This is the sixth year that Hall has sponsored a Relay for Life team as a school club, and Culmo said there are currently 40 members. Last year the team came in second in fundraising for Relay for Life West Hartford, raising more than $13,000. This year the goal is $15,000.

Culmo said they are hoping to attract 15 teams of six people, with each participant paying $20. Question topics include science, math, geography, sports, and entertainment. Sign-ups can be made as a team, or individuals can sign up separately and be placed on a team. Funds will also be raised through a 50/50 raffle. One hundred percent of the profit will be donated directly to the American Cancer Society.

The event, which will be held on Saturday, May 14, at 7 p.m. in the Hall High School cafeteria, will include five rounds of questions. Desserts, coffee, and tea will be provided. The top three teams will win prizes that have been donated in support of the fundraiser.

Warriors for a Cure has teamed up with Team Fagan, a RHAM High School group, for this year’s Relay for Life. Team Fagan honors the memory of Larry Fagan, Jr., a West Hartford man and Hall dad who passed away from brain cancer in February. Fagan was a psychology and civics teacher at RHAM.

Fagan’s daughter, Claire Fagan, is currently a member of the Relay for Life team and his niece, Nora McHugh, is Culmo’s co-advisor for the group.

Culmo praised the work that Davidoff and Niranjan have done to organized the trivia night event, and said that the girls have taken the lead and even gone to King Philip and Sedgwick middle schools to do presentations about it in order to raise more awareness.

“They are both dynamic, smart, motivated, and enthusiastic girls. I’m so proud that they’ve gotten hooked on volunteerism,” said Culmo.

Relay for Life’s purpose is one that resonates with the Hall students, many of whom have been personally touched by cancer. Culmo said that many “Warriors for a Cure” alumni have continued to participate in Relay for Life events even after graduation. One alum is leading a college team now, and another chose a particular college because it had an active Relay for Life team, Culmo said.

“It’s inspiring to see the next generation fighting so hard to find a cure,” Culmo said.

For more information, email Culmo at [email protected]. To directly support Warriors for a Cure/Team Fagan, click here.

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