The Terry Fox Foundation would like to see the revival of an official Terry Fox Run in the community of Estevan.
“We are looking for someone who would be willing to lead the charge. We would like to get the official run and maybe a community event or events surrounding the run, going again in Estevan,” said Nicole Broom, a public relations assistant with the Fox Foundation who contacted the Mercury recently.
“We don’t have an organizer in Estevan this year. The run used to be co-ordinated by David Riddle, but the last one he organized was in 2007,” she said.
Broom said the Foundation realized local schools have carried out their own version of the run, which started about the same time as the community-run event began to lose momentum.
“We are trying to find out why this is happening? If we can, then maybe we can get the drive back into a city-wide event again,” she said.
This year’s official Terry Fox Run is slated for Sunday, Sept. 18 and it will mark the 36th anniversary of the Marathon of Hope.
Broom said there are school runs organized in some communities wherein both the schools and the community combine to formulate one special run on that date, which is what was done in Estevan with Riddle doing the organizing through the Legion Track Club.
“The Fox run is always the second Sunday after Labour Day,” said Broom.
The cause remains firm with the funds going directly into cancer research in memory of one of Canada’s true heroes.
Broom said the administration costs associated with the Terry Fox Foundation Marathon of Hope and other associated events are stable at 16 per cent, meaning 84 cents of every dollar raised goes directly to cancer research.
“Of course the Terry Fox Run can be anything you want it to be. It can involve a barbecue, it can be a run or a walk or both. The community takes ownership of it,” Broom said.
The run organizer’s role is to set out the run route, promote it, oversee the run on the day of the event and recruit and co-ordinate volunteers and the run committee. The organizer also oversees the collecting and the submitting of pledge sheets and donations.
“The Terry Fox Foundation provides the needed materials such as lawn signs, pledge sheets and T-shirts, to name a few,” said Broom.
“We understand your community is going through a crisis now, so I don’t expect this plea is going to gain a top priority right away, and we do want you to know the Terry Fox Foundation has the community of Estevan in their thoughts as you recover ,” she added.
Any person or group who might be interested in heading up a Terry Fox Run revival, may contact Heather MacKenzie, the provincial director [email protected]
“We have 42 Saskatchewan communities signed up with run organizers and we are willing to work in depth with others, like Estevan, to bring that number up. We need someone who is motivated and passionate about the cause,” she said.
