Once again, the weather was ideal for the 45th annual Terry Fox Marathon of Hope on Sunday, September 14th (2025) in Port Elgin (Saugeen Shores).
Each year, cancer survivors – Terry’s Team, their families, friends and supporters gather at North Shore Park Lions’ pavilion before heading out along the scenic Lake Huron shoreline multi-use path.
Event organizer Geordie Farrell emceed the event and said that Saugeen Shores has raised almost half a million dollars since the local run began. Including on-line and on-site donations, the total raised to date (2025) is $26,645 of the $30,700 goal with donations still coming in.
The total to date does not include the funds that will be raised at the local school runs taking place later this month.
When it comes to participants, Delores Spielmacher, now in her 90s has been participating in the annual Port Elgin Terry Fox run for more than 35 years, in honour of her daughter who passed away due to cancer. This year, despite needing a walker, she collected $1,500.
Every year, Spielmacher and her friend Allan Murray, would raise funds and take part in the run.
This year, however, Murray passed away from cancer on September 2nd and, instead, his wife Nancy and his sister, Anne Bryson (90) walked in his memory.
Dana Fox, who spoke at last year’s event, was also expected to return this year. The determined Fox, despite having stage 4 cancer ran his 9th Boston marathon this year but was unable to attend the Port Elgin run due to health. Instead, Sherryl Patricevic, of Bernie’s Boat group stepped in to give a message of hope and determination.
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The cross-country team of the University of Windsor Lancers also made a stop at the event. The team and coach Jordan Collison had been at the annual training camp in nearby Wiarton and, on their way back to Windsor, once again stopped to attend the event. Collison, a native of Southampton, and former member of the Saugeen Track and Field Club (STFC) with coach Geordie Farrell, had participated in the Terry Fox run as a young student.
Although Bill Vigars, who travelled with Terry Fox on his Marathon of Hope and who authored the book “Terry and Me”, had planned to attend this year’s Terry Fox run in Port Elgin, he passed away on April 15th (2025) of heart failure. Instead, Collison read Vigars’ moving message.
A final totalled raised in Saugeen Shores will be tallied following the local school events.
