The annual Terry Fox Run in 100 Mile House is slated for Sept. 18 and organizer Shannon Sund hopes everyone who intends to run, walk or ride during the event will bring their family members and friends to the event.
It is an important request because we don't want to become complacent about the reasons why Terry began his Marathon of Hope in 1980.
He wanted to raise money for cancer research and he wanted to raise awareness about the horror of this disease.
Terry doggedly ran across our country to drive that awareness home for all Canadians.
He wanted to make sure we all knew cancer was a reality in Canada.
He wanted to show it had no mercy, as cancer would strike down a child just as easily as it would take an elderly person.
Terry wanted Canadians to be aware of the threat of cancer and to be on the lookout for signs of it amongst their families and friends.
Terry knew all too well what cancer could do to a seemingly healthy young person – even the strongest of us could be taken from their families in all too short of notice.
He knew that spreading awareness about cancer would also help in the fundraising portion of his campaign.
While it was too late for Terry and others who had cancer and were dying from the disease, he knew that cancer research was the answer to help generations that would follow him to stop dying from the disease.
Sadly, Terry could not finish his cross-country run because he was expending so much of his energy, his heart and his soul that he couldn't continue.
When he was asked why he did stop running when he was in so much pain, Terry said nobody was going to be able to call him a quitter.
He was absolutely correct – he wasn't a quitter.
People all over the world picked up the torch that Terry could no longer carry.
Worldwide, people are participating in the Terry Fox Run and they, like Terry, are not going to quit until the fight against cancer is won.
All who participate in the annual Terry Fox Run are "working together to outrun cancer."
Folks can register for the run online at www.terryfox.org, where participants can also make online donations and set up a webpage to collect pledges.
Folks can also register at the South Cariboo Visitor Centre at 9:30 a.m. on the morning of the run.
Those of us who cannot make the local event, can always sponsor a school student who will be running with the classmates.
We can also go to the above website and make a donation.
We cannot quit supporting a true Canadian hero.
We cannot become complacent about the fight against cancer.