Following the first organizational meeting last week for next month’s Terry Fox Run here, details already are falling into place.
And with most the bases covered, and some dedicated pledge-getters known to be out and about right now, organizer Vanessa Hebert is focusing on making the event the spectacle she feels it deserves to be.
“We have plenty of volunteers, but we’re looking for more participants,” said Hebert, who is executive director of the Fort Frances Volunteer Bureau. “We want to make it more of a family event.
“I don’t think people realize they don’t have to be in it just to bring in the dollars. While it is a fundraiser, it’s also about just keeping the spirit of Terry Fox alive,” she stressed.
“Last year, for instance, we had some people who decided they wanted to participate at the last minute and just donated $5 the day of registration,” Hebert noted.
In an effort to get the public aware of—and involved with—the run, a barbecue is slated for Friday, Sept. 5 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the lot beside Pharmasave (the event’s corporate sponsor).
Hamburgers, chips, and pop will be sold for $3, Hebert noted, adding pledge sheets and Terry Fox Run merchandise also will be available there.
Proceeds from the barbecue will go towards a second one to be held after the Terry Fox Run here on Sunday, Sept. 14, which will be open only to those who participated.
The 10-km route once again will begin at the Fort Frances Museum at 2 p.m., go down Portage Avenue to Front Street, and then continue along the riverfront to Pither’s Point, where participants will turn around and return to the museum.
Hebert also noted there will be two separate registration tables—one for first-time participants and another for veterans—in order to speed up the process.
A few other details still to be worked out include which individual or family this year’s run will be dedicated to. While organizers have one in mind, this has not yet been confirmed with the family in question.
In the meantime, Hebert wants to promote fundraising challenges among local businesses, like the annual face-off between Pharmasave and the Fort Frances Clinic Dispensary.
Last year’s run, which was dedicated to the memory of Celeste Beck and raised about $11,000 altogether, saw 93 participants of all ages walk, run, bike, skateboard, and in-line skate the 10-km route for cancer research.
Hebert added that as far as she knows, local resident Ed Katona also will be biking for the cause again this year—possibly going all the way to Minneapolis, Mn.
Sponsor sheets are now available at the Volunteer Bureau (located in the old CN station) as well as various other places around town. Hebert also is taking orders for Terry Fox merchandise, including T-shirts, sweatshirts, baseball caps, and magnets.
For more info on these, call her at 274-9555 or drop by the Volunteer Bureau.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
