Terry Fox Run returning to Shelburne after two year hiatus

Written By Paula Brown

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Shelburne community members are coming together once again in support of finding a cure for cancer. 

After a two-year hiatus, where participants did a walk, run, or ride on their own, the local Terry Fox Run is returning to Shelburne on Sunday, Sept. 18. 

“It's so nice to be able to be back in-person and to see everybody's faces, coming together in support of Terry Fox,” said Taylor Wallace, co-organizer for the local walk. “In the last few years, the community has lost a lot of people to cancer and we are all going to fight together to help find a cure.”

Participants will meet at the Shelburne and District Fire Department, located at 114 O'Flynn Street, to register and begin their walk. Maps with a 5 km and 10 km route will be available. 

“It's a staggered entry so you can come anytime between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. to start your walk and you can end where ever you want. If you want to come back to us, that's great, it gives you your full distance, but if you decide you want to walk home that's totally fine too,” said Wallace. 

Registration to participate in the Shelburne Terry Fox Run can be done at the event on Sunday or ahead of time through the Terry Fox Foundation website.

“There's no need to donate, just come out and take a walk, but if you feel like donating that'd be greatly appreciated,” said Wallace. 

He noted that they've already seen a number of teams registered to take part in the walk to support a cure for cancer including the Shelburne Wolves. She added that they're hoping for a few other sports organizations to join as teams. 

Terry Fox embarked on his Marathon of Hope in St. John's Newfoundland on April 12, 1980. After running nearly 42 kilometres a day for 143 days (a total of 5,373 kilometres), on Sept. 1, 1980, he was forced to stop outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario because cancer had appeared in his lungs. 

To date, the Terry Fox Foundation has raised more the $850 million for cancer research. 

This year, the tagline for the run is “I'm not a quitter”, which comes from a statement Fox made in 1980. 

“It's really important the we continue to carry on the legacy from Terry Fox, who had such a great impact on so many people. Terry never gave up ever until he physically was unable to and especially with the last two years, we can say ‘we're never going to give up' and we can carry that on and continue that for him; to never stop until we find a cure for cancer,” said Wallace.  

To find out more information, to register to participate in the run, or to donate visit the Terry Fox Foundation – www.terryfox.org.