It has been thirty years since Terry Fox attempted to run across the country to raise funds and awareness for cancer research. In the years since, the run that bears his name has been one of the biggest cancer fundraisers in the country. This year's Terry Fox Run in Yorkton will take place on September 19 at the Gallagher Centre.
Michael Pasloski, coordinator for the Terry Fox Run in Yorkton, says that getting youth involvement is one of the goals of this year's event. He notes that local sports teams such as the Yorkton Terriers, and the Yorkton Gridders, YRHS Raiders and SHHS Saints football teams will be participating in the event.
"Terry was a young man when he died, he was just short of his 23rd birthday. So it's capturing that youthful spirit that he had... We want to capture Terry's spirit that he ran no matter what the conditions," Pasloski says.
Getting youth involvement is important for another reason, says Pasloski, and that is to get youth to become excited by the event and to continue with it as they get older.
"Everybody's lives have been touched by cancer, it doesn't matter who you are. Once the youth have been touched by that spirit and catching on to it, then they'll do it as they become adults, and hopefully they'll carry on," Pasloski says.
Reaching out to the youth in the city will keep the legacy alive, Pasloski believes, and it's a legacy that has raised close to $500 million for cancer research since Fox began his marathon of hope in 1980. That money has been used for vital cancer research in those thirty years, and Pasloski sees the run being a vital event for making a difference in the lives of people with cancer.
"It's about making a difference in no matter what we do, and continuing this makes a difference," Pasloski says.
The run will take place on September 19 come rain or shine, and will both start and end at the Gallagher Centre. Registration for the event will take place at 1:00 p.m. with the run itself starting at 1:30 p.m. More information on the Terry Fox Run can be found at www.terryfoxrun.org.
