Organizers of the Prince George Terry Fox Run are hoping to double the funds raised last year at this year's event, which marks a milestone anniversary in Prince George's special link to Terry Fox.
Last year the five-kilometre run, walk, cycle or wheelchair event drew about 600 participants, organizer Scott McWalter said. This year's event starts Sept. 14 at 10 a.m. at Community Foundation Park downtown.
"This year our goal is to have 1,000 participants," McWalter said. "Last year we raised $10,000. This year our goal is to double that amount."
It was September, 1979 -35 years ago this year -that Terry Fox, his brother Darrel and friend Doug Alward arrived to take part in the Prince George Labour Day Classic 17.5 km running race (known as the Prince George to Boston Marathon at the time).
"[Fox] entered the Labour Day Classic. He finished last place, but he got a standing ovation," McWalter said. "Prince George was the event that gave him the confidence to launch his Marathon of Hope. Prince George plays a huge, huge role in the history of the Terry Fox Run."
In a letter to the Citizen written in 2005, Tom Masich -director of the Labour Day Classic in 1979 -said he met Terry Fox the day before the race when he, Darrel Fox and Alward asked to meet him.
"... The three young arrived at our door within the hour and we invited them into our home. All three were dressed in T-shirts and shorts, and all looked very fit," Masich wrote. "Terry, however, was a mystery to us as he sat in our big brown easy chair, prosthesis stretched before him, and told of us his amputation due to cancer and his ambitions to test himself over an extended run, as he had a desire to possibly run across Canada to raise money for cancer research."
Alward and Darrel Fox entered the full 17.5 km race, while Terry Fox entered the half-distance race, Masich wrote.
"After I got the race started, a lot of spectators asked me if I was crazy allowing an amputee to run. I was still questioning myself," he wrote. "Well, what a day. I checked in on the two-way radio to find how things were going with Terry. To my shock, I was told that he had come to the end of the short race and just kept on going to complete the second section, and the overall long course. Three hours, nine minutes and 59 seconds after the start of the race, the crowd of spectators... were gathered at the finish line, crying and cheering this magnificent young man as he -saturated in sweat from shoes to T-shirt neckline - cross the finish line. It was magnificent, emotional and unprecedented. Terry Fox had stolen the show."
At the race banquet that night, Fox announced his intention to run across the country to raise money for cancer research - earning a standing ovation, Masich wrote. The 41st edition of the annual Labour Day Classic was run this weekend (see related story, page ?)
Community support
Prince George has always strongly supported the Terry Fox Run, McWalter said, and this year is no different.
"This is such a community event for Prince George," he said.
All four UNBC Timberwolves teams -men's and women's basketball and soccer teams - will be taking part in the event, he said, which is an annual tradition for the teams.
"The Timberwolves have a surprise for every single participant this year. I can't say what it is..." he said. "Also the entire Spruce Kings hockey team is walking the event."
Other delegates will include Mayor Shari Green, Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond and 2015 Canada Winter Games mascot Nanguz.
A local business is sponsoring free coffee for participants and Mary Cartwright will be selling her home-baked chocolate chip cookies for $1 donation to the Terry Fox Foundation, he said.
"Being the lead organizer for the Terry Fox Run in Prince George just makes me even more proud to live in this city"
Participants can sign up in advance online at www.terryfox.org/Run/ and registration begins in person at 9 a.m. on Sept. 14. There is no fee to register, and all donations go to support the Terry Fox Foundation.
