By Angie Sullivan

Pick your favourite running shoes and get those water bottles ready! Registration for the 44th annual Georgina Terry Fox Run begins at 8.30 am on Sunday, September 15 at the North Gwillimbury Park at Roches Point.

Terry Fox’s iconic 1980 Marathon of Hope inspired the annual Terry Fox Run which raises millions of dollars every year for cancer research.

Is jogging not your thing? No worries. Bring your bike or walk your leashed dog –all are welcome. The run begins at 10 am and there will be DJ music, merchandise, entertainment, and snacks. Choose your distance and go one kilometer, five kilometers, or 10 kilometers.

Laurie Pangman-Carriere is the organizer for the event and said last year, “We had quite a few hundred enthusiast participants attend and raised approximately $40,000 for cancer research to fight cancer and save lives!”

She hopes our community will raise more than $50,000 this year and encourages each person in Georgina to donate at least one dollar.

Ryan Reynolds

To help with fundraising, there is a new initiative this year to help Canadians embrace Terry Fox’s #NoMatterWhat mindset. In collaboration with Ryan Reynolds, the Terry Fox Foundation has launched an annual limited edition shirt to commemorate this year’s run. The shirts are on sale for $25 at the Keswick Canadian Tire and Sutton Home Hardware or you can get yours the day of at the run.

Pangman-Carriere is also very excited about the new park to be named after Terry Fox and said, “My family and I are truly ecstatic, honoured, and so proud that my idea/dream is finally coming to fruition in 2025, in time for the 45th Terry Fox Run Anniversary!”

The Terry Fox Park will be located in Keswick’s Treasure Hill subdivision in their development north of Church Street and include a walking/running path to be called the Marathon of Hope Trail.

Mayor Margaret Quirk said, “This has been a dream of many residents, especially Laurie Pangman-Carriere, the current organizer of the Terry Fox Run. To say Laurie was happy would be an understatement, she has lobbied for many years for a local recognition of Terry and his Marathon of Hope.”

Registration and donations can be done online at www.terryfox.org. If you’d like to volunteer please contact Pangman-Carriere at Mikeirual@hotmail.com, using the subject line “GTFR 2024 Volunteer.”

Advertisement