Editor:
What inspiring event started 40 years ago? The Terry Fox Run did! The event has been part of my life and that of my family – dogs included – ever since. My mum had died of cancer the year prior to the inaugural run, so it seemed a fitting way to fight back from that loss. Terry’s example of courage and determination endures as the years and run events roll on. A total of $800 million has been raised through donations dedicated to life-saving cancer research. The Terry Fox Foundation is staffed by people who all express a personal connection to the Fox family, who are all still involved, and to the memory of Terry who was a remarkable young human. I have recently participated in national meetings over Zoom that reveal the pure motivations of the volunteer organizers who are deeply committed to keeping the spirit of the annual run alive with a variety of events in the face of a pandemic.
Check out the website to see the creative concepts featured to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Terry Fox Run. I usually organize the run in Gibsons, generally getting just over 100 participants out. I invite the loyal folks who join me and my family each year to get out on a Sunday in September and remember Terry Fox and do 40 steps, 40 blocks, or 40 deep breaths to commemorate the national hero that Terry Fox is. The Terry Fox Foundation is hoping for donations (which can be done online) to continue their ability to fund research and is providing items for purchase to promote the cause, including masks. I have ordered a supply so anyone interested can email me at [email protected] or stop me on the street as I am promoting the use of reusable masks in the face of the pandemic. Thanks for the support of the Sunshine Coast community and the Coast Reporter’s excellent reporting over the last few months to stay safe and keep our heroes in our hearts.
Mary Findlay, Gibsons
