Isabella Falsetta, a New Canaan High School sophomore whose twin sister, Grace, was diagnosed with leukemia in middle school, spent much of the summer helping to organize and promote a free community event to raise awareness for pediatric cancer.
The Gracie Fund for Pediatric Cancer is a nonprofit organization that works to improve the lives of children facing life-threatening cancer by supporting the people, programs, and organizations that care for them.
Working with family members—including Grace, who is now cancer-free, following 85 hospital stays and 20-plus surgeries—and a good friend, NCHS classmate Tate Salerno among others, Isabella helped promote the “Gracie Soap Box Derby.”
To be held at New Canaan Country School at 1 p.m. (get there 12:30 p.m.) on Sunday, Oct. 18, the Derby will feature a DJ, Blind Rhino food truck and kids’ zone with activities such as face painting and obstacle course, in addition to 15 races featuring 18 custom-built, authentic (non-motorized) soap box derby cars.
“What made me want to become part of this effort is just I saw how hard my dad worked, how hard all my sister’s doctors and nurses worked to help her with this treatment, and I realized that every kid deserves the same amount of love and support that she did,” Isabella said on a recent afternoon during an interview at New Canaan Library. “What we do with the fund is we help people with either their medications, or treatments such as medical massages,” she added. “We raise money for that. So I feel like it just really adds to the treatment, and it makes people feel much better. I think it makes people feel happy.”
Since its creation and a community-wide NC Combine fundraiser in 2023, the Gracie Fund, partnering with the Tomm Fund, has helped raise more than $600,000 for services such as medication management assistance, and experiences such as art programs and a new kids room at Yale Pediatric Hospital. Yale’s Dr. Stephanie Massaro is one of the Gracie Fund’s partners.
Asked how she’s feeling with the Soap Box Derby coming soon, Grace Falsetta said she’s hoping for a big show of support.
“I am so excited just to see everyone, the whole town just come and have fun,” she said. “We already have so many people telling us they built cars. We’re really grateful for this opportunity that we have.”
Salerno said a Gracie Fund-wrapped car will be racing alongside the others.
“We worked to be able to build the design, and build a vision of what we wanted the car to look like when we got it wrapped,” Salerno said. She added: “And we got it with the Gracie Fund colors and the logo.”
Salerno said organizers chose a specific spot on the grass at NCCS that “we thought would be good for the race.”
“We do have a little bit of a raised ramp at the starting line, and then there’s the ramp so you can go down, get momentum, and then it’s flat for a long stretch,” she said.
Those racing include a NCHS teacher who built a car, and cars from the New Canaan Police and Fire Departments, in addition to more than one dozen local families. The NCHS SLOBs and grade leaders have helped organize the event, as well as sponsors that include Walter Stewart’s Market, John M. Glover Insurance Agency, AC Auto Body, Dunkin, Camp Playland, Cherry Street Cheese & Provisions and Elise Landscapes & Nursery.
Salerno said, “We’re trying to build a lot of excitement up about the derby. And we’re really just trying to drive attendance. We’d love to see everyone come out, families. And we’re trying to spread the word about all the fun activities, what we’re raising money for and our cause.”