Photo from left: Front, Jean Contant, Eleanor Fry, Barbara LeMay. Back, Councillor Dan Armour, Mayor Karin Terziano, Sharon Stahls, Steve Ainger, Eva Johnston, Atticus, and Wolfgang Kuehnen at the official kick-off of the Terry Fox Run. (Photo: Huntsville Doppler).
Residents, run organizers, and council representatives gathered at Civic Square yesterday to kick off Terry Fox week, with the customary annual Terry Fox Run taking place this Sunday, September 18 at Huntsville High School.
Registration for the event will begin at 8 a.m. The event will start at 9 a.m. with an opening ceremony, which will include a warm-up and the singing of the anthem.
Those biking the run will go first and then runners and walkers. The run is 10 kilometres, “but you can turn around at any point, my friends. Whether at 5 or at 10 kilometres or at 500 yards,” said organizer Sharon Stahls.
Stahls also noted that organizers will have water stations available but participants are asked to brig their own water bottles as organizers are trying to go plastic free.
Breakfast items will be available, and donated by all three grocery stores. Participants can register online at Terryfox.org or at the run site where there will also be T-shirts available for purchase.
Young and old gathered to keep the memory of Terry Fox and his fight against cancer alive on Monday.
Several ladies from Rogers Cove were present and at least one remembered meeting Terry Fox when she was younger. They will be doing their own wheelchair run/walk at the retirement residence.
Eva Johnston who has been directly affected by cancer was also at the kick-off ceremony with her mom, Jenn. Johnston had leukemia at three years old. It’s now in remission, and she wants to help other children living with cancer.
Brothers Atticus, 9, and Wolfgang Kuehnen, 12, whose grandmother died from cancer, were also there. For years they’ve been opting out of birthday presents and asking for donations for their run for cancer research, explained Stahls.
Huntsville Councillor Dan Armour was also present as well as Terry Fox Run committee member Steve Ainger, whose son and grandson will also be helping out at the run.
Stahls spoke of the importance of keeping Terry Fox’s inspirational story alive and raising funds for cancer research. The run is family oriented and a great opportunity to talk about Terry’s story with younger people.
“Some of us know about Terry but a lot of our younger students don’t, unless of course through the school. So it’s a great time for parents to share, so Google!” said Stahl, a retired school principal who also gave a shout-out to area schools for sharing Terry’s story with students.
Huntsville Mayor Karin Terziano said she is glad the run is happening in person once more. “It’s been a while and I can’t say enough about Sharon and her team that put this together every year. I hope our turnout is the turnout that we had years and years ago. As Sharon said, we need more young people involved and knowing the story of Terry Fox.”
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