LAC LA BICHE - For 43 years, the Terry Fox Run has been an opportunity for people across Canada to raise money for cancer research while showing solidarity with loved ones battling the disease or to remember those who have passed away.
On Sept. 17, residents of Lac La Biche County will once again don running and walking shoes or ride their bicycles to participate in the annual Terry Fox Run, which begins at 1p.m. at McArthur Place.
For the past five years, Tina Skakun, a stage 4B cancer survivor, has worked alongside a group of dedicated volunteers who support and organize the local version of this famous nationwide event.
“As a cancer survivor, it is very important for me to participate,” Skakun told Lakeland This Week. “Many of the volunteers and community members who take part have been touched by cancer themselves or have loved ones who’ve been impacted by the disease. During the Terry Fox Run, there are also many walk-in remembrances for loved ones, or those who believe in the cause.”
On an average year, about 50 people walk, run, or cycle for this great cause to honor the legacy of Terry Fox. Fox, who died in 1981, was diagnosed with bone cancer in 1977, planned to run across Canada to raise awareness and money for cancer research. He ran 5,373 km before being forced to stop because the cancer had spread to his lungs.
This year’s event, which starts at McArthur Place and finishes on Pleasant Acre Drive, will feature five-km and ten-km options along the route.
“Typically, around $1,500 is raised in our community which goes to the Terry Fox Foundation,” Skakun said. “It’s always heartening to see people from the local community coming out to support this initiative and we’re expecting a good turnout again this year.”
Registration for the 43rd annual Terry Fox Run in Lac La Biche begins at 12 p.m. at McArthur Place. Community members can register or donate on the day of the event or at https://run.terryfox.ca/28800. All donations go to support the Terry Fox Foundation.
To date, the Terry Fox Foundation, which was founded in 1988, has raised over $850 million for cancer research. In 2022, four million Canadians and 600 communities participated in the 42nd annual Terry Fox Run.
