MOOSE JAW — The 44th annual Terry Fox Run concluded in Moose Jaw on Sept. 15 with the continued goal of raising funds in support of the Terry Fox Foundation, an organization that carries on the work of a Canadian who ran across the country to raise money for cancer research in 1980.
This year’s run began at Vanier Collegiate and saw around 65 participants which is slightly less than the 72 who participated in last year’s run. The route followed Moose Jaw’s beautiful trail system in Spring Creek and included both a five- and a 10-kilometre run.
“We had a barbecue after it was done (which) we do every single year, and we had a bunch of the kids out playing,” said Stephanie Meyer, the run organizer for Moose Jaw. “(We also had) lots more volunteers this year which was really great as well.”
This year, she said, the group saw eight volunteers, which is double the four who volunteered in 2023. These volunteers were able to provide two water stations with the generous support of Prairie Spring Water.
This year’s tally won’t be ready until around the end of the month. As it stands, Meyer said the foundation had raised around $2,800 going into Sunday’s run and between $4,000 and $6,000 is typically raised each year.
The Terry Fox Run is an annual event that has become a fall tradition in Canada. With a reach involving more than 650 communities across both official languages, the run is held in support of The Terry Fox Foundation.
The Terry Fox Foundation’s mission is to help raise funds used to further cancer research to find a cure. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, around 233,900 new cases of cancer and more than 85,000 cancer-related deaths were expected in 2023 alone.
“There can be no reason for me to stop,” Terry Fox said back in 1980. “No matter what pain I suffer, it is nothing compared to the pain of those who have cancer, of those who endure treatment.”
This grant money is used for independent researchers who seek to find a cure to cancer, and the foundation also supports research that aims to treat the side effects of current treatment and helps improve patients’ quality of life.
Meyer said that heroes of the calibre of Terry Fox are becoming less common in today’s world and that it’s significant for the foundation to keep his memory alive.
“Terry’s one of those (figures) that has never faltered,” she said. “Even people new to Canada want to hear (his) story, about everything he did and highlighted because it was one person with a very simple goal.
“It’s still that message of, if you just do a little bit, we can all kind of get to that greater good. So, I think that’s the memory we’re trying to keep alive, and it’s always a really positive thing to keep alive in our community.”
Meyer concluded with a message of thanks for all who helped make this year’s run a success. “Just a giant thank you to everybody that has donated, came out, or volunteered… to make sure the run could happen.”
Donations are still accepted for around the next two weeks and the best route is to donate online at TerryFox.org. Be sure to state that your donation is intended for the Moose Jaw Run.
You can also contact the Terry Fox Run in Moose Jaw by email at [email protected].
For more information, visit the foundation’s website at TerryFox.org.
