It’s a long way from Thunder Bay, Ont. to Ladysmith, B.C. and it’s a long time from Sept. 1, 1980 to Sept. 15, 2024.
The Significance of Thunder Bay is that is where Canadian icon Terry Fox had to leave his cross-Canada marathon to raise funds to help battle cancer. Fox had travelled by foot for 5,373 kilometres from April 12, 1980 to Sept. 1, 1980 only to be stopped by the return of the cancer that had already claimed one of his legs. He started his Marathon Of Hope quest to make more Canadians aware of cancer and the need for more funding to help research.
Over the last 44 years the goal of Fox’s Marathon of Home has continued all across Canada and it’s no different in Ladysmith. This past Sunday, almost 100 individuals, including families, bicyclists, pets and buggies took part in the annual Terry Fox Run.
Hosted by the Ladysmith Parks, Recreation and Culture department the event kicked off at 10:30 a.m. with warm-up exercises and a welcome by Ladysmith councillor Ray Gourlay. Gourlay also read some history of Terry Fox and the goals of the Marathon of Hope.
“Fox’s focus was local,” Gourlay said. “Family, school, sports and friends and when his diagnosis revealed he had osteogenic sarcoma, which resulted in the amputation of his leg above the knee, it broadened his goals but never changed his focus of involving everyone.”
That was the spirit exhibited by local participants last week, such a Cale Noonan, who was participating in the Terry Fox event, along with his wife and two daughters.
“This has been a tradition for me, I’ve grown up running in the event in Ladysmith and I want my kids to be aware of these issues in peoples lives,” he said. “I raise money myself for a cause: Batten disease. I raise money for a young girl who has Batten disease so I want my girls to be able to see what people can do to help out. It’s kinda a life lesson for them. To be aware of people in need and how we can help them.”
“I’ve done the run for a long time, but this is the first time for my daughter, Audrey, she’s at the age now where she’s really interested in running and sports and she wanted to do it with me,” Noonan said.
Gourlay also mentioned to the crowd that including the $1,300 that was raised on the day of the run, Ladysmith has raised more than $100,000 since 1988.
