Terry Fox was only a teenager when he set out to create awareness and support of Cancer research by attempting to run a marathon each day in his dream to cross Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans, all the while as he himself was suffering from the disease.
For 143 days, he ran a marathon (26 mi/42km) each day for a total of 5,373km.
While he never realized his dream, little did he know that more than 40 years later, his name and his Marathon of Hope would become a legacy of inspiration with the Terry Fox Run being run in Canada on the second Sunday following Labour Day and in more than 20 countries world wide raising more than $850Million.
On Sunday, September 18th, more than 100 people gathered at North Shore Park in Port Elgin (Saugeen Shores) on Lake Huron to take part in the annual volunteer-drive Terry Fox Run organized by Geordie Farrell and Holly Vanderzwet. “We could never do this without our volunteers who work tirelessly each year,” said Farrell. “When i first learned Terry’s story, it intrigued and inspired me as it still does today.”
The event, that included cycling, roller blading, running or walking the 2k, 5k or 10k route, saw many families and individuals return to in-person after a two-year hiatus due to COVID, where the run was a virtual event.
Each year, a ‘Terry’s Team’ member is chosen who has undergone treatment for cancer and, this year, Sheila Little, an Occupational Therapist, spoke of her own challenge with breast cancer and her 25-year-old daughter Taylor’s battle with a cancer that affects primarily children and is rare in adults, rhabdomyosarcoma.
“We have both been challenged but it has brought us even closer together,” said Little. “Taylor has undergone 33 radiation treatments and 30 chemo treatments. Her birthday was on December 26th and she started everything the next day, December 27th. She is braver than anyone I have ever met. We have found time for life and to appreciate the world.”
For the 10th year, 15 Team Wakeling family members traveled to take part together in the Saugeen Shores Terry Fox run in memory of Sandy Wakeling with M.J. Thompson Team leader.
At 87, Dolores Spielmacher of Southampton participated in her 37th annual Terry Fox walk, in memory of her daughter Cheryl, with friends Allan and Nancy Murray.
With pledges still coming, $28,000 was raised. “Since its inception in Saugeen Shores, some $400,000 has been raised,” said emcee Geordie Farrell, “which is incredible given our population of only 14,000.”
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