100 Mile Elementary School’s Terry Fox run raised $792.50 for cancer research.
Organizer Carolyn Cushing said the weather was beautiful on Sept. 22 as the entire school gathered together to run around Centennial Park. The students, she continued, donated a lot of money including a $500 donation from the recycling program run by Margot Shaw’s Grade 5 and 6 students.
“We had a lot of donations. People from out of town donated to our school through the foundation itself so that was surprising and great,” Cushing said. “I think it went very well. The weather was great, the kids were great and we didn’t lose anyone.”
Before the run, Cushing reminded students of Fox’s story. Born in Winnipeg, Man. and raised in Port Coquitlam, B.C., Fox was an avid student athlete until bone cancer claimed his right leg.
During recovery, Fox decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research in a Marathon of Hope. For 143 days, Fox ran from St. John’s Newfoundland to Thunder Bay, Ont., covering 5,373 kilometres and raising $24 million dollars.
Grade 7 student Delano Levermann said while Fox’s story is inspiring he also enjoys the act of running every year with his school. Delano managed nine laps around Centennial Park and said he shares Fox’s love of sports.
“We just run around to support Terry Fox and what he did,” Levermann said. “I think it’s really fun and that he was a good guy.”
With no community event happening this year due to a lack of organizers, Cushing said it’s all the more important to keep Fox’s cause alive in the minds of children.
She’s old enough to remember the original Marathon of Hope in 1980.
She even watched Fox run with her own eyes.
“I was in Ontario, I was at a family reunion and he happened to run on the highway right there by our house. It was very powerful,” Cushing said.
READ MORE: Terry Fox organizers pass the torch
Since the first Terry Fox Run was held in 1981, over $850 million has been raised nationwide for the Terry Fox Foundation. It has used this money to fund research into curing cancer to one day achieve Fox’s dream of a cancer-free world. Cushing said events like this are what children remember the most about school. She also would like to see new volunteers step up to organize the community run next year. “Hopefully if we can keep doing it they’ll keep recognizing how important and how much of a hero he’s become for Canada,” Cushing said. “It would be great if we could bring it back to the community.”
patrick.davies@100milefreepress.net
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