Duane Hicks
With the Terry Fox “Marathon of Hope” set to go across Canada on Sunday, Sept. 13, organizers have begun to plan a fundraiser run/walk here.
The Fort Frances Volunteer Bureau invites anyone who would like to help organize or volunteer for the annual event, or sponsor it, to call and leave a message at 274-9555 or e-mail ffvb_29@hotmail.com
Volunteer Vanessa Hebert said yesterday that not too much has been done yet as far as planning, but posters advertising the event were put up around town this week and pledge forms distributed.
Being a fundraiser, participants are encouraged to pick up pledge forms and raise funds prior to the Sept. 13 event.
Pledge forms are available at the volunteer bureau (located in the old CN station), Canadian Tire, Pharmasave, Shopper’s Drug Mart, The Place, and Wal-Mart.
Hebert said she hopes to get volunteers and sponsors on board as soon as possible, but as it stands right now, it’s likely the event will be smaller this year.
She noted the reason for this is that planning is off to a late start. The volunteer bureau is not operating with any paid staff right now, and the office has been closed since July.
As of Monday, Hebert began operating out of the volunteer bureau building with her new business, Solutions Bookkeeping (which she took over from Linda Kaczorek), but she is involved in organizing the Terry Fox Run as a volunteer, not as executive director as she was years ago.
As such, more volunteers would be appreciated to help stage the event while sponsors could help with anything from advertising to supplies, such as refreshments for day of the run, noted Hebert.
The event will start at 2 p.m. at the volunteer bureau. From there, participants will make their way to Pither’s Point and then back.
Fox’s original “Marathon of Hope” took place in 1980 with the objective of raising awareness of the critical need to find a cure for cancer.
He ran an average of 43 km a day for 143 days, but eventually was forced to end his cross-Canada journey near Thunder Bay due to the return of his cancer.
He succumbed to the disease in June, 1981. Since then, the annual Terry Fox Run been held in Canada and around the world.
