Caledon hosts two major Terry Fox Runs
Caledon residents will come together Sunday to participate in the annual Terry Fox Run, held at two locations.

Rotarian Peter Swain, organizer of the Palgrave Terry Fox Run, stands at the entrance to the Trailway at Regional Road 50 and Brawton, inviting participants to this year's run.

Kinsmen present Bolton Fox Run

The annual run will once again be held in Bolton Sunday, Sept. 16.

The Kinsmen Club of Bolton has been busy getting everything in order for another successful run. Close to 150 runners raising $15,000 participated last year and the goal for this year is to match and improve last year's efforts.

The meeting place for all participants will be at the Bolton Kinsmen Centre located at 35 Chapel Street beside Baffo's and after a brief ceremony, the run will officially start at 9 a.m. This year a 5-kilometre run route will be set up and after the runners finish their run, hamburgers, hot dogs and pop will be served. Pledge sheets can be picked up at the Albion Bolton Community Centre, Caledon Fitness Centre or Ellwood Memorial Public School or call John Stegeman at 905-857-3021 for more information.

The Terry Fox Foundation's mission is to maintain the vision and principles of Terry Fox while raising money for innovative cancer research through the annual Terry Fox Run.

In 1980, Terry Fox was a young man with cancer who wanted to make a contribution to the fight against the disease. One year later, Terry had touched the collective hearts of all Canadians and today is one or our country's heroes.

Terry's Marathon of Hope was the start of a dream that eventually evolved a successful partnership between The Terry Fox Foundation and the National Cancer Institute of Canada.

The roots of this partnership started when Terry Fox, whose right leg was amputated in 1977 because of osteogenic sarcoma (bone cancer), decided to run across Canada in 1980 to raise funds for cancer research. Terry's objective was to raise awareness of all Canadians about the critical need to find a cure for cancer. His fierce determination resulted in his running 26 miles every day for 143 days. By Feb. 1, 1981 Terry's hope of raising $1 from every Canadian was realized - the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope totaLled $24.2 million. Although Terry died a few months later - one month before his 23rd birthday - his legacy lives on through the Terry Fox Foundation.

It is a tribute to Terry's quiet determination and courage that the Terry Fox Run is the largest single-day fund-raising event for cancer research in the world. To date, more than $200 million has been raised through the Run, which has taken place every year since 1981.

Be at the Bolton Kinsmen Centre Sunday, Sept. 16 to help keep Terry's dream alive!

Palgrave Rotarians

sponsor Fox Run

The Palgrave Rotary is again sponsoring the Palgrave Terry Fox Run. It has been 27 years since Terry started his Marathon of Hope and his legacy remains stronger than ever.

Rotary will pick up all of the expenses. The location will be the at the entrance to the Trailway, at Regional Road 50 and Brawton. On tap will be fire trucks; skateboard ramp and climbing wall. There will be a free pancake and sausage breakfast, cooked up by the Palgrave Rotarians, at the Chuck Wagon, starting at 8 a.m. Kay MacDuffee and one of the teachers will lead the warm-up exercises. The run/walk/jog/bike etc. will be started at 9 a.m. Councillor Richard Whitehead will attend and start the event.

The half-way point of the event will be just west of Humber Station Road (approximately five kilometres) and the participants can then turn around and return along the Trans Canada Trail to where they started. There will be toilets and water provided along the route. The OPP will attend.

Palgrave Public School students, parents and teachers will, again, be involved in this popular community event.

In Palgrave last year, 300 participants raised more than $9,000 and organizers are hoping to beat that this year. Worldwide in 2006, there were 4,749 run sites, with over 2.5 million participants, in 39 countries. The total sum raised, world-wide, now stands at more than $400 million, since Terry first started the run!

How has the $400 million dollars effected cancer? With some exceptions, mortality rates have dropped dramatically.

"If Terry Fox was to be diagnosed with the same cancer today, his chance of survival would be 80% (compared to 15-20% in 1977) and it is unlikely that he would have had his leg amputated," according to the Terry Fox Foundation.

For more on the Palgrave run, call co-ordinator Peter Swain at 905-583-0088. You can visit www.terryfoxrun.org for more information.