Strathmore to host Terry Fox Run

By Mario Prusina Times Editor

The annual Terry Fox Run will take place in Strathmore on Sept. 20, bringing local residents together to raise money for cancer research.

The event is part of the nationwide Terry Fox Run, held in communities across Canada. Participants can walk, run or otherwise complete the route at their own pace, with the event open to people of all ages and abilities.

Registration will begin at 9 a.m. with the run getting underway at 10 a.m.

“Terry Fox is important to me because cancer has touched every person, basically,” said organizer Mellisa Crispin-Piche. “Whether it’s a family member, a friend, a neighbour or someone you know, I don’t think there’s a person who hasn’t been affected by cancer in some way.” 

Her personal connection is having both of her parents battle the disease – a father who has been in remission for 35 years and her mother who sadly lost her battle this past spring. 

For her, Terry’s story has always represented something bigger than the distance he ran.

“He is the ultimate Canadian,” she said. “When you think of the ultimate Canadian, Terry Fox is who comes to mind for me. He is the face of Canada.”

In 1980, Terry Fox began his Marathon of Hope after losing his right leg to bone cancer. He set out from St. John’s, Nfld. with the goal of running across Canada and raising money for cancer research.

Terry ran 5,373 kms over 143 days before cancer spread to his lungs and forced him to stop outside Thunder Bay, Ont. His goal of raising the equivalent of $1 from every Canadian was ultimately achieved, with the Marathon of Hope raising more than $24 million. 

The first Terry Fox Run was held in September 1981, just months after Terry’s death, with hundreds of thousands of people taking part. Today, the annual event has become a Canadian tradition with more than 650 communities participating.

Crispin-Piche hopes Strathmore’s event will capture that same spirit of coming together.

“It’s about community,” she said. “It’s about everybody coming together for one common goal and that goal is finding a cure for cancer.”

The morning will include more than just the run. Participants can take part in a pre-race warm-up led by local yoga instructor, fitness instructor and personal trainer Kelly Montford, with town officials also expected to attend with a special keynote speaker setting the tone for the event. 

Prairie Pop Cos’ dirty soda food truck will also be taking part in the morning, adding another local touch to an event that Crispin-Piche hopes will feel welcoming to everyone.

“You don’t have to be a runner,” she said. “You can walk, you can bring your kids, you can come with your dog. It’s really about being there and being part of the community.”

That inclusiveness is part of what makes the Terry Fox Run so meaningful to her.

“I think Terry showed Canadians that one person can make a difference,” she said. “He was just one person who decided he was going to do something and look at what happened.”

Registration information is available at run.terryfox.ca/129398 or they can register on the day of the run.

For more information about the Strathmore Terry Fox Run, follow the Strathmore Terry Fox Run Facebook page or email them (strathmoreterryfox@gmail.com).