Terry Fox had a single dream: a world without cancer. He sought to reach out to every corner of Canada, and beyond, when he embarked on his Marathon of Hope. Terry Fox ran the equivalent of a marathon a day for 143 days straight, on one leg, to raise awareness of the need for cancer research funding. When his own cancer spread, he was forced to stop running. The heroic Canadian was gone, but his legacy was just beginning. This year marks the 39th annual Terry Fox Run and Port Hardy is seeking a motivated, enthusiastic, and compassionate volunteer run organizer to continue Terry’s legacy in your community.
Terry Fox has inspired an incredible wave of change over the past thirty nine years with his legacy living on in Port Hardy. The first Terry Fox Run in Port Hardy took place in 1986 and the community has hosted 27 Terry Fox Runs, contributing over $18,406.84 to cancer research. Without a local volunteer run organizer, this Canadian tradition is in jeopardy of not taking place in the community. The run is an opportunity for people of a variety of backgrounds and ages to come together and contribute to the growing total of more than $750 million that has been raised, worldwide in Terry’s name, in support of impressive and vital progress made in cancer research for more than three decades (for more information about Terry Fox funded research projects visit www.terryfox.org or www.tfri.ca). As the volunteer run organizer, your responsibilities will include recruiting committee members, confirming the route, promoting the run, and overseeing run day activities. The time commitment ranges from two to four hours weekly during the months leading up to the national Terry Fox Run day, which is on Sunday, Sept. 15 this year. Whether as an individual or a service group, the volunteer run organizer will always be assisted by the Terry Fox Foundation in the planning process, and given the resources to make it a success.
“If you’ve given a dollar, you are part of the Marathon of Hope.” Terry demonstrated that even the smallest contribution had value and a positive impact on cancer research. Everyone can participate in the Terry Fox Run – there is no minimum number of team members nor is there a minimum amount that needs to be raised. Registration of your team is free and participating is by donation. You can walk, run, ride a bicycle, or roller blade!
If you wish to volunteer with a truly grassroots organization that values all contributions, and whose mission it is to help every cancer patient, please contact Donna White at 1-888-836-9786 or donna.white@terryfoxrun.org for more information.
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