The grey skies and rain kept many Terry Fox Run participants away last year but this weekend is shaping up to be sunny and clear.
The 32nd annual event happens Sunday in four Tri-City communities, including Fox's hometown of Port Coquitlam. You can walk, run, cycle or inline skate to remember loved ones who have battled cancer and to raise money for the Terry Fox Foundation, which to date has collected more than $500 million for cancer research.
Worldwide, the Terry Fox Run is the largest single-day fundraiser for cancer research. To donate online, visit, terryfox.org.
PORT COQUITLAM
Where: Hyde Creek rec centre (1379 Laurier Ave.)
Routes: 2.5 km, 6 km and 10 km
When: 10 a.m. start
Speakers: Breast cancer survivor Wendie den Brok, cancer survivor Bruce Moore (Fox's soccer coach) and Mayor Greg Moore
Entertainment: Brad Lovell and Legal Limit
Last year's total: Around $100,000
Last year's participants: 2,000
Volunteers needed: Call 604-418-9177 or 604-944-1200 or email [email protected]
Visit: www.facebook.com/terryfoxhometownrun
COQUITLAM
Where: Blue Mountain Park (975 King Albert Ave.)
Routes: 2 km, 6 km and 10 km
When: noon start
Speaker: Leukemia survivor and award-winning downhill mountain biker Nick Geddes, Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart and Coun. Selina Robinson
Entertainment: The 40H4 band, Zumba class (from noon to 12:30 p.m. for non-walkers), Sun Hang Do martial arts demo and board breaking, children's activities, prize giveaways and refreshments
Last year's total: About $16,000
Last year's participants: 433
Volunteers needed: Call 604-762-1081 or email [email protected]
Visit: www.facebook.com/CoquitlamTerryFoxRun
PORT MOODY
Where: covered stage at Rocky Point Park
Routes: 2 km, 5 km and 10 km
When: 10 a.m. start
Speakers: Rotarian Gene Vickers and Mayor Mike Clay
Entertainment: Tony Prophet and the Port Moody secondary cheer squad
Last year's total: $6,500
Last year's participants: 205
Volunteers needed: Call 604-868-8844 or email [email protected]
Visit: www.facebook.com/TerryFoxRunPortMoody
ANMORE
Where: Anmore village hall (2697 Sunnyside Rd.)
Route: 2 km
When: Noon start
Speakers: Organizer Johnathan Davidson
Entertainment: To be confirmed
Last year's total: About $1,000
Last year's participants: 100
Volunteers needed: [email protected]
A number of newsworthy events are happening this month in conjunction with the Terry Fox Run. Among them:
Mary Ness, a volunteer co-ordinator with the Port Coquitlam Terry Fox Run, will be shaving her head for the second time. Ness first went under the shears in 2010 to bring attention to the event and raised about $3,100 for the Terry Fox Foundation. This year, Ness - a long-time community volunteer who is also a weight room attendant at Hyde Creek rec centre - is also paying tribute to her mother, who died this year of leukemia. Ness' goal is to collect $4,000. The head shaving will take place on stage before the Sunday run.
Cristi Pastia, a criminology graduate student at Simon Fraser University, where Terry Fox was a kinesiology undergrad, will receive this year's Terry Fox gold medal before the start of the campus' Fox run next Tuesday. The accolade is bestowed on students who have demonstrated courage in the face of adversity. Pastia's parents were involved in an alleged murder-suicide while they travelled in their homeland of Romania three years ago this week. The Burnaby resident was 20 when they died and, since then, she has volunteered with the Women Against Violence Against Women Rape Crisis Centre, where she answered calls on the crisis line, as well as with BC Victims of Homicide. Pastia began a master's degree in criminology this month and plans a career in victim services.
SFU will be joining universities and colleges across Canada next Tuesday to launch the inaugural Terry's CAUSE on Campus. Terry's CAUSE (Colleges And Universities for Student Engagement) will focus on engaging students to raise awareness about cancer prevention, celebrate Fox's legacy and fundraise for cancer research. Other participating universities this year include Carleton University, Dalhousie University, McMaster University, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Queen's University, the University of Calgary and the U. of Toronto.
On Tuesday, Governor-General, David Johnston was named as patron to the Terry Fox Foundation. "We are... extremely honoured that His Excellency has accepted this role and we know that both Betty and Terry would join us in welcoming him to the foundation and its broader family of supporters and organizers," said Rolly Fox, Terry's father, in a news release. Johnston will take part in the Terry Fox Run in Ottawa on Sunday.
Visit www.tricitynews.com later today (Friday) to read an exclusive online report about Terry's brother, Fred, who was expected to speak at Terry Fox secondary this morning at the PoCo school's annual spirit assembly.
CORRECTION
In Wednesday's paper, it was incorrectly reported that Terry Fox was in high school when he was diagnosed with cancer; in fact, he was attending SFU when he learned he had the disease.
