Centre Dufferin District High Schol surpasses fundraising goal with Terry Fox Week 

By Danielle Williams

For the 43rd Annual Terry Fox run, Centre Dufferin District High School (CDDHS) students took part in a week's worth of activities.

"The overall purpose is to raise money for cancer," said Matt Barlow, CDDHS teacher and head organizer of the school's Terry Fox Run. "Anytime you bring a group of people together to work for something that's a good cause, it builds positive culture and a stronger community."

After having a slowdown during the COVID-19 pandemic with a single day to raise funds for the Terry Fox Run, this year, the school hosted a week full of activities. Over the past three years, CDDHS has done lunch hour sales, set daily donation goals, and created events to support the Terry Fox Run with donations. After surpassing their 2022 goal of raising $5,000, organizers decided to set an ambitious goal of $6,000 for this year.

Once again surpassing their goal, by about $1,500 this year, CDDHS, Matt Barlow and the leadership class now have high expectations for the years to come.

The run itself took place during the last two periods of school on Thursday, Sept. 28. While most students walked, others actually ran.

"We try not to put too much emphasis on being out there running as much as we do being out there and just being part of the cause," said Matt Barlow. "Running isn't for everybody, and we want them to feel like they're still contributing even just by being out there walking laps around our track."

One of the main events for Terry Fox Week is Centre Dufferin's week-end pie to the face auction. Students come together to bid on the opportunity to pie a teacher in the face. The event alone has made around $2,000 in the past two years in a half-hour timespan, leaving CDDHS proud of its participation.

"Everyone has a person they know who has cancer," said Charlotte Miller, a member of the leadership class. "Whether it be a friend, a family, just a coworker, anybody, we all know someone."

She added, "The emotional connection we all have to try to end cancer I think, relates to everybody."

On April 12, 1980, 43 years ago, Terry Fox set off on his Marathon of Hope. With the goal of curing all cancers, he decided to run across Canada after receiving a bone cancer diagnosis and having his leg amputated. He travelled a total of 5,373 kilometers, close to 42 kilometers a day, but unfortunately, on Sept. 1, 1980, Terry was forced to stop his run. After 143 days of running, cancer appeared in his lungs. He then passed away the following year, June 28, 1981.

Carrying on Terry's dream of finding a cure, CDDHS continues to contribute to the Terry Fox Foundation, which has raised over $850 million for cancer research since its inception in 1988.

CDDHS wants to say a big thank you to all the sponsors of this year, as well as those who sponsored past runs.