The cool, cloudy weather couldn’t put a chill on Drayton’s Terry Fox Run Sept. 14, as 177 participants and volunteers helped raise $20,915 for life-saving cancer research.
One could not help but notice the large number of families that attended the popular event.
aremarked, “I love seeing how many younger people come out. It makes me feel very positive and hopeful for the run; that we’ll keep it going.”
Prior to the run, participants were entertained with toe tapping music by Randy Smart, a slide show of photos from past runs, and a barbecue lunch. Organizers want to thank all barbecue and corporate sponsors, whose names will be listed in a thank you ad in an upcoming edition of the Community News.
Registration is always an unglamorous but necessary part of a fundraiser. Theresa Scholten, Stan Hogenkamp, Marilyn Riff and Alison Kernoghan helped to keep lineups to a minimum, while Dale Franklin and Mary Downey worked diligently behind the scenes to crunch numbers and count money.
Organizers would also like to express gratitude to the Drayton Mapleton Agricultural Society for the use of the old arena, and to all the participants, volunteers and sponsors who continue to help raise funds to end cancer.
The passionate and dedicated organizing committee for this event consisted of Ellis, Linda Dickieson, Dale Franklin, Kristyn Franklin, Henni Klaassen, and Scholten.
Ellis, Dickieson, Klaassen and Scholten are all cancer survivors who feel as though they are paying it forward with their annual Terry Fox efforts. The many family members of the organizing committee also pitch in to help with the barbecue, set up, take down, water stations, and many of the other tasks that are essential for the success of such a large event.
New this year was a large display of Terry Fox art coloured by the students of Drayton Heights and Maryborough Public Schools.
Klaassen, a cancer survivor, run volunteer and artist, was impressed with both the quantity and quality of the pictures, especially those with thoughtful messages printed on them.
The students were also asked to write an answer to the question: “What is the value of a challenge?” Although there were many insightful compositions on display, one student’s answer stood out.
Jessa, from Maryborough Public School wrote: “A challenge is something that sometimes may not only make you grow as a person, but as a community. A challenge is something that can make us grow as a country, even as a world. A challenge can make you grow a bigger heart.”
It is obvious from the enthusiastic participation at Drayton’s Terry Fox Run that the Mapleton community has grown by facing the challenge of continuing Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope – and in the process, has shown that it has a very big heart indeed.
