Participants headed along the scenic shoreline of Lake Huron at the 2019 Terry Fox Run September 15.
Hub Staff
A wet start to the day and the threat of a storm didn't dampen the spirits of the 170 participants taking part in the 30th annual Saugeen Shores Terry Fox Run as they gathered at North Shore Park in Port Elgin to raise over $23,000 for the Terry Fox Foundation and cancer research.
It was the 39th annual nation-wide event and locally over $350,000 had been raised prior to the 2019 event. Fitness Corner owner and event coordinator Holly Vanderzwet said she received a plaque from the Terry Fox Foundation to mark the local event's 30th anniversary.
Master of Ceremonies Geordie Farrell told the story of Terry Fox who, after losing his leg to cancer at 18 years of age, set out from St. John’s, Newfoundland on April 12, 1980 on his Marathon of Hope, a run across Canada. “His ambition was to raise a million dollars for cancer research,” said Farrell. “He ran for about 14 hours every day, running a marathon or 42 kilometres every single day.”
Fox was forced to end his run near Thunder Bay, Ontario when the disease spread to his lungs with cancer finally claiming his life in 1981. “Canada mourned the loss of a hero but the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope lives on,” Farrell said. “Today we join thousands of others across Canada to carry on the legacy created by Terry Fox and inspired by his dream.”
“This year, I plan to run with hope in my heart and hope in my feet,” said Farrell who was also running to honour the memory of her husband Earl, Terry's Team member at the Port Elgin run in 2015, who lost his battle with cancer in February this year.
“When Earl died, I honestly lost hope but as the day of the Terry Fox Run approached I realized that I needed to draw on the strength that Terry Fox and my husband demonstrated,” said Farrell. “A strength firmly embedded in hope and that strength is what I drew on when I finally kicked myself into gear and started to move forward again.”
Farrell also spoke about the Botting family of Port Elgin and their 3 year old son Easton who was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia. “Easton’s journey is going to include weekly trips to Victoria Hospital in London over the next seven months as he goes through the various phases of intense chemotherapy and then continuous maintenance of chemotherapy over the next three years,” Farrell explained. “At today’s Terry Fox Run, we want honour Easton and provide the Botting Family...with courage, love and most of all hope."
This year’s Terry's Team member guest speaker was local photographer and stand up comedian Jenn O’Reilly who was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer.
O'Reilly spoke about being “sun smart,” showing run participants photos of their face from a few months ago. “I had something called skin graft facial reconstruction surgery, all to build me a brand new nose because I've had skin cancer on it now twice,” O'Reilly explained. "You don't need to be tanned.”
Following the opening ceremony, Vanderzwet put the participants through several warm up exercises before they set off along the Lake Huron shoreline in the non competitive event, running, walking, cycling, and rollerblading to keep Terry Fox's dream alive.
Event Coordinator Holly Vanderzwet (left) and Master of Ceremonies Geordie Farrell at the 2019 Saugeen Shores Terry Fox Run September 15.
Dressed mostly in orange to represent leukemia and yellow or gold to represent childhood cancer, Team Easton were at the Saugeen Shores Terry Fox Run to support Easton Botting and their family.
Local 3 year old Easton Botting, who is being treated for acute lymphocytic leukemia, at the 30th annual Saugeen Shores Terry Fox Run September 15.
Three of the 20 members of Team Wakeling, who have been travelling to the Saugeen Shores Terry Fox Run for the last seven years from the United States and all across Canada in memory of their friend Sandy Wakeling who passed away in 2013. From left, Kevin Douglas of London, Ontario and Libby and Isabella Felten who had driven to Saugeen Shores especially for the event from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Sporting a Terry Fox tattoo, four year old Brooklyn Hunter from Orangeville was putting one on to their Meemaw Holly Vanderzwet.
Eleven year old Tahia Botting (left) and ten year old Emily Parker were ready to cycle the 2019 Terry Fox Run.
This year's Terry's Team Member and guest speaker was Jenn O’Reilly who was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer.
Participants in the 30th annual Terry Fox Run gathered and registered at North Shore Park in Port Elgin September 15.
Cyclists headed out first, led by Bob Love, at the 2019 Terry Fox Run in Saugeen Shores.
Runners, walkers, cyclists and rollerbladers all headed out from North Shore Park to participate in the non competitive 30th annual Terry Fox Run in Saugeen Shores.
Fitness Corner and Fitness Corner South owner, Holly Vanderzwet got the crowd warmed up ahead of the Terry Fox Run September 15.
Rough Idea entertained the crowd as participants arrived and got registered for the Saugeen Shores Terry Fox Run.
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