Duane Hicks
The turnout was very low for the annual Terry Fox Run here Sunday, with just 24 registered participants raising $1,307 for cancer research—$2,307 after a donation from Wal-Mart the following day.
Organizers chalked up the small numbers to several factors—the main one being volunteers had to scramble at the last minute to plan and promote it.
Lead volunteer Vanessa Hebert noted the Fort Frances Volunteer Bureau no longer has any paid staff to co-ordinate the event like there was in the past, and volunteers only had a short amount of time to decide whether to go ahead with it or not.
“Considering the fact it was a borderline ‘whether or not we’re going to do it kind of thing,’ I think it was successful,” Hebert said.
“Considering the fact we weren’t going to do it, and then we decided, ‘You know what, we really should do it,’ I still think it was successful.
“The volunteer bureau technically doesn’t have anybody as far as paid employees. It’s all volunteer work,” Hebert explained. “Considering the fact there were some people that have never done it before, have never organized it, that were helping out, we did a very good job.
“We ended up having quite a few people show up for volunteering, which is awesome.
“Hopefully, next year we’ll be a little more organized,” she added. “We talked to some of the participants after the run and came up with something for next year already.”
As previously reported, former volunteer bureau staffer Debbie Bazylewski was let go earlier this summer. And while Hebert is working out of the volunteer bureau office with her bookkeeping business, she’s not actually an executive director (like she had been several years ago).
A lack of Bingo and Nevada ticket revenues was cited as the reason for the cutback.
Hebert noted some people may have done the run on their own and registered online through the Terry Fox Foundation. As well, local school children will be doing the run at their respective schools.
But neither of these are included in the total from Sunday’s event.
Hebert and some others also wondered Sunday if the beautiful weather kept people up the lakes or otherwise occupied—soaking up what was, after all, the second-last weekend of summer before autumn officially begins Sept. 22.
As well, the overall popularity of the Terry Fox Run may be decreasing. The past few years have seen an average of 80 participants raising roughly $6,000.
But looking back to earlier in the decade, in 2001, more than 200 people raised $13,014 while in 2000, 190 people came together to raise $9,516.
(Keep in mind, most of these past totals were bolstered by exceptional pledge-getters such as Marj Katerick, Joyce Gosselin, and Ed Katona, who collected large sums, as well as fundraising challenges between local businesses).
But those who did come out Sunday were steadfast in their support of the “Marathon of Hope.”
One familiar face was Katerick, who rode her bicycle in it for her 14th year.
“Terry Fox will always be my hero,” said Katerick, who, as of 2008, has raised a whopping $21,000 toward’s Fox’s vision, “A Single Dream, A World of Hope.”
“At that time, I felt I had reached my goal. However, I will always participate in other areas of the Terry Fox Run,” she noted, explaining why she did not collect pledges this year.
Katerick did, however, donate money for food this year.
Helene Cone, who has participated in other walks like the “Relay for Life,” said this was her first time taking part in the “Marathon of Hope.”
She decided to participate as not only did her mother pass away due to cancer, but she is a cancer survivor herself.
“It’s good exercise,” said Cone. “It’s a good cause. And the weather’s beautiful.”
Donna Rogers, who first participated in the Terry Fox Run in 2007 and came back this year to do it again, said she knows people affected by cancer and wanted to support a worthy cause while going for a brisk jog at the same time.
The route from the Fort Frances Volunteer Bureau office at the old CN station on Fourth Street West to Pither’s Point and back.
Participants were treated to pizza and beverages afterwards.
Christmas dinner
In related news, Hebert said she doesn’t want the Fort Frances Volunteer Bureau’s annual community Christmas dinner to fade away, and hopes to start planning for it soon.
“We would like to continue it,” she noted. “We’ll have to sit down with volunteers and see what their take on that is, and go from there.”
Hebert said it’s already clear that with little funds to spare, the volunteer bureau will need more donations than ever this year.
Any individual or business wanting to donate to, or help plan, the dinner can call Hebert and leave a message at 274-9555 or via e-mail at ffvb_29@hotmail.com
“We really don’t want to lose [the dinner] for the community,” she stressed.
The free dinner regularly draws 200 people each Christmas Day.
It is open for anyone to attend, whether they have no other place to go on Christmas or if they just want to participate in a community event in the spirit of the season.
