Local teacher rallies students, hits runway for cancer care, community support

September 24, 2026 · 0 Comments

September is always a busy month for Riley Allen.

It’s back-to-school season for the Aurora French-immersion teacher, which brings its own challenges, but this year she’s underscored her very personal story to community members hitting the stage for this month’s Lip Sync Battle, raising vital funds for Victim Services of York Region, rallying her school community for the Terry Fox Run, and, on Sunday, taking the runway alongside children facing cancer and neurofibromatosis for the Enchanted Hope Foundation’s gala.

The Enchanted Hope Foundation is a York Region-based non-profit that creates immersive community experiences for children and families across the GTA, capturing the imaginations of children through storytelling, connecting families, and much more.

It’s a cause very close to Allen’s heart.

As a child, Allen was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer which left her with a reconstructed leg from the knee down.

In an effort to help other children following similar journeys, Allen’s mother wrote a storybook, “Riley’s Socks,” which Allen herself parlayed into a line of inspirational loungewear and apparel.

“It was a really big support for me as a kid because growing up in school having this reconstructed leg that kind of looked extremely different from the rest of the kids, having my book as an outlet to explain to other kids what happened [helped], especially since it’s such an intense word – I call it the ‘Big, Scary C Word.’ Being able to bring light to the Big, Scary C Word was really awesome throughout school. I feel like it helps show kids that you can go through something really bad, but there can be good outcomes to it.

“Now that I’m older and a teacher, I also go into schools to talk about my leg, showing them that while something bad can happen, it doesn’t mean that you treat someone differently because they may look different or have something special about them. It also teaches you to use kind words to yourself and others, which is a big thing that I teach my kids, especially when it comes to my leg, because I know what it’s like when people can say mean things about something that you can’t really change about yourself.”

Her work to spread this positivity is not focused exclusively on kids. Earlier this month, Allen joined a team organized by the Aurora Chamber of Commerce for Victim Services of York Region’s Lip Sync Battle, hosted at Aurora Town Square. Calling themselves the Next Gen Collective, they went all in to support the cause, raising more than $3,000 in the process.

She didn’t have time to rest on her laurels. As the Terry Fox Run approached, she led her students in their own in-school event, which was an opportunity for her kids to learn more about her own cancer journey.

Communities across Canada laced up for their local Terry Fox Runs on Sunday morning and, later that day, Allen was lacing up shoes altogether different as she took on the role as an ambassador for the Enchanted Hope Foundation’s gala.

“I thought it was really cool when they asked me to walk down the runway with kids who are going through something like that. I think it is really cool because if I look back to Little Riley, I think being able to have an outlet like that would be really awesome,” Allen told The Auroran just prior to the event. “I just hope that being able to see me grown up doing what I’m doing after having gone through something so intense brings them hope and I’m a source of hope for other kids. It’s just insane to me that I even get to do something like this, especially since I used to be one of those kids. It’s like a big full-circle moment for me. The things they do to help kids identify as not just their sickness and letting them be creative with what they’re going to wear and what storybook characters they’re going to be, I think it’s just super cool – especially when I have my own children’s book!

“I always look for opportunities to share my story and, at the end of the day, that’s all I really want to do. I’ve got this leg with me, I’ve grown up to learn ways to express myself through it and being able to share my story. I know that it impacts people in a positive way.

“September is a busy month, but I wouldn’t have asked for it any other way.”

For more information about Riley’s Socks, visit rileysocksapparel.com. Further information on the Enchanted Hope Foundation can be found at enchantedhopefoundation.org.

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter