Michelle Richardson has always been inspired by Terry Fox and his story.
Growing up in the Tri-Cities, she remembers watching the Marathon of Hope on TV and like many people still feels a connection to Fox. Over the years, she’s participated in numerous fundraising events, including the local annual Terry Fox run/walk.
“It’s really about keeping his hope alive and supporting cancer,” said Richardson. “It’s a cause that’s important to me that I believe in supporting. Really I don’t know anybody that hasn’t been affected by cancer in some way.”
This year, she’ll be running the route on Sunday with her husband and daughter.
The five or 10-kilometre walk/run from the recreation centre kicks off at 9 a.m., with registration at 8 a.m. Participants will head down Kawkawa Lake Rd. towards the Trans Canada Trail and Kawkawa Lake area, before looping back to the recreation centre.
Thirty-three years ago Terry Fox embarked on his Marathon of Hope, dipping his prosthetic leg into the Atlantic Ocean in St. John’s, N.L. After running 42 kilometers a day for 143 days, he was forced to stop when cancer spread to his lungs. Since then, millions of people around the world have kept his dream alive with more than 9,000 runs organized every year. To date, the Terry Fox Foundation has raised more than $600 million for cancer research worldwide.
Walk/run participants can bring donations or pledges to the local event on Sept. 15, or drop them off at the recreation centre. All admission fees to the Hope Recreation Centre on Sunday will be donated to the Terry Fox Foundation.
