Neepawa to hold 38th annual Terry Fox Run

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Published on Wednesday, September 12, 2018

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The Terry Fox Run has become an annual tradition for families, whether they walk, bike, or run.

By Cassandra Wehrhahn

Neepawa Banner & Press

Thirty-eight years ago, Terry Fox ran an average of 26 miles a day for 143 days for his Marathon of Hope, running across Canada to raise money for cancer research.

Fox was inspired to run the marathon after he lost his leg to bone cancer when he was only 18, having been so affected by the suffering of other cancer patients. Unfortunately, the runner was unable to complete his marathon, having to stop just outside Thunder Bay, Ont., on Sept. 1 when the disease appeared in his lungs. He died in the June of 1981.

Today, we hold the Terry Fox Run in his honour, carrying on his dream of finding a cure for cancer. The run is held in over 1,000 communities across Canada and in 58 countries around the world, with funds raised going towards helping scientists find the secrets behind the early detection, treatment and cure for all cancers. More than $700 million has been raised globally in Fox’s name, leading to dramatically increased survival from cancer of all types. Last year, Neepawa raised $7,000.

This year’s Terry Fox Run for Neepawa will take place on Sunday, Sept. 16, at the NACI track. Registry will start at 1:30 p.m., with the run starting at 2 p.m. The event is expected to run until 5 p.m. Runners will follow a route through town to the Dairy Queen, where ice cream is available, and back to the track. There is no minimum donation value, and participants are welcome to walk, run, or ride.

Organizer Kelly Kryzaniak has stated that refreshments and cookies will be available, as well as a chance to win a Terry Fox related prize that was donated by the local Harris Pharmacy and Gill and Schmall. Kryzaniak shared her thoughts on the event, and her hopes for this year.

“It is a wonderful family event to celebrate one of the greatest Canadians and raise money for cancer research,” said Kryzaniak. “As a small town, Neepawa has been very supportive in the past and we hope to continue this in 2018.”

The event organizer also elaborated that the Terry Fox run is one of the best, if not the best, in terms of percentage of fundraising dollars which goes directly towards the cause with over 82 cents of every dollar raised is spent specifically in the research field itself. The Terry Fox Run is volunteer driven, and has no commercial sponsors as per Fox’s wishes. Kryzaniak describes it as a “truly grassroots Canadian event”.