Terry Fox Run organizer Joanne Petak gave the sun an assist for helping organizers to put on the biggest Terry Fox Run ever in Whistler on Sunday, Sept. 19, with almost 300 participants helping to raise over $11,000 for cancer research.
"The sun definitely helped us a lot this year, but that’s not the whole story. Whistler wasn’t an exception this year because the rest of Canada and B.C. had record turnouts as well," said Petak. "Awareness is pretty high right now, and next year is the 25 th anniversary so things are looking great."
Although the numbers were positive, Petak says the best part of the event was the fact that so many people from the community came out, even if they didn’t run in the event.
"The most important thing for me was the fact that everyone had fun this year, the atmosphere was just so fantastic," she said. "For me this is a day to honour Terry Fox and continue his work, but also to celebrate life, and that’s what I was seeing on Sunday."
Petak hopes to build on this momentum for next year, especially with the help of the Four Seasons Resort, which donated food, volunteers and prizes for the event.
"I was amazed at the way (the Four Seasons) came through this year, they had just opened and had a lot to deal with but they still found time to help out. Hopefully we’ll be able to do more for the 25 th anniversary, and make an even more significant contribution at the same time."
According to the Terry Fox Foundation, participation in this year’s runs was up 11 per cent, while fundraising was up seven per cent. So far it looks like more than 1,000 runs across Canada raised about $21.1 million, up from just under $20 million in 2003.
The Pemberton Terry Fox Run is scheduled for this weekend, starting at the Pemberton Airport Campground on Sunday, Sept. 26. You can register anytime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and walk, run, bike, or skate the course. There will be food and refreshments for participants.
