It was a warm, sunny day on Sunday, and about 70 locals gathered at the St. Paul Rec. Centre to take part in the annual Terry Fox Run, hosted across the nation for the past 39 years in memory of one of Canada's most iconic heroes.
In St. Paul, the community has raised over $204,000 since the run began locally in 1983, with funds going to the Terry Fox Foundation, which then goes toward research and finding a cure to cancer. The 2019 edition is estimated to have raised over $6,000, according to one of the St. Paul run organizers, Jana Zarowny. She also made mention that one local participant, Robert Pruneau, has personally raised $80,000 of that total over the years.
The run is a 5km route around the south end of St. Paul. Participants leave the Rec. Centre and head south and then east, dipping down along Lagasse Park, and back north along the high school. Then, they make their way back to the Rec. Centre along various streets in town. While many people do in fact run the 5km route, others choose to take their bikes, walk, push a stroller, or even ride a scooter.
Prior to the official sendoff on Sunday, Town of St. Paul Mayor Maureen Miller spoke to the crowd of people in front of the Rec. Centre. She thanked everyone for attending the event, and noted that each person has some type of personal connection to cancer, whether it's because they know a survivor, they know someone who has been diagnosed recently, or they have a loved one who has passed away.
Speaking specifically of Terry Fox and his mission to find a cure and raise funds while he battled the disease himself, she said, "he knew he was not special." Fox knew that cancer could affect anyone, regardless of age or ethnicity. "Cancer has no boundaries," said Miller.
She noted that while Fox fought until the end, his dream did not die with him.
She acknowledged those in attendance for being compassionate and helping continue the work that is taking place to find a cure to cancer.
MLA David Hanson was also in attendance, speaking briefly before the run began. He made special mention to the volunteers who take time to organize the event each year.
"We've got a long ways to go, and a lot more work to do," said Hanson, when speaking about the fight against cancer.
Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope is remembered across the country, every September, as communities and schools organize runs, keeping his memory alive, and continuing to do the work he was intent on doing.
While Fox wasn't able to finish his run across Canada, due to cancer, he encouraged Canadians to continue, and had been quoted as saying: “I’ve said to people before that I’m going to do my very best to make it, I’m not going to give up. But I might not make it . . . if I don’t, the Marathon of Hope better continue.”
