MANITOULIN—Hundreds of thousands of people across Ontario are expected to participate in the Terry Fox Run this Sunday, September 14, including right here on Manitoulin, a fundraising event now considered an autumn Canadian tradition. Locally, runs will take place in Silver Water and Little Current. In 2013, millions of Ontarians participated in 220 community Terry Fox Runs and 4,000 school events, raising $12.5 million for cancer research.
In 1980, when Terry Fox decided to run across Canada on a prosthetic leg to raise funds for cancer research, he knew he faced an immense challenge. After running almost a marathon a day for 143 days, Terry was forced to stop when cancer recurred in his lungs. His Marathon of Hope came to an end but the spark he had lit in the hearts and minds of Canadians ignited into a cancer crusade that has lasted more than three decades.
On Manitoulin, M’Chigeeng’s Joanna Rosenbaum organizes the Little Current run while Silver Water’s Jessica Tenniswood leads the charge for the West End. In Little Current, where the event has been running since 1981, one year after the start, the community has raised a cumulative total of $68,101.82. Last year the Little Current run had 115 participants and raised $3,636.95. The Little Current Public School Terry Fox Run, a separate event, raised $1,179 for the cause.
In Silver Water, the 2013 total raised was $1,351.
To date, the Terry Fox Foundation has raised over $650 million for cancer research worldwide with 84 cents of every dollar raised going to cancer research and is one of the largest non-governmental funders of cancer research in the country.
The Little Current Terry Fox Run takes place this Sunday, September 14 at 1 pm at Low Island Park. A 10-kilometre circuit, the route is wheelchair, rollerblade and cyclist friendly. A bake sale will be held at Low Island Park to raise further funds. In Silver Water there are 1 km, 5 km and 10 km routes available that are wheelchair and cyclist friendly, all with a 1 pm start from the Silver Water Community Hall.
To contact Ms. Rosenbaum email joanna.r@manitoulinphysio.ca or call 705-282-4223. She is looking for volunteers to help too. To contact Ms. Tenniswood, please email youngotterwoman@yahoo.com or call 705-283-3025.