Written By Jan Sims
ILDERTON - They walked, ran, rolled, and one man even carried a canoe on his head! That was the scene for the Terry Fox Run in Ilderton.
The event brought out some 70 participants on Sunday September 20th. The Ilderton run started at Heritage Park, with 1 km, 2 km, and 5 km routes for people to follow. “Together, Ilderton raised $10,285 for cancer research, passing our $10,000 goal,” says even organizer Ashley Davidson.
The Terry Fox Run was held annually in Ilderton before COVID, but it hadn’t taken place in six years. This year it came back to the community through the dedicated efforts of Ilderton Ladies Social and a team of more than 20 volunteers.
“One moment that stayed with us was Andrew Douglas of Team Douglas completing the route with a canoe over his head,” says Davidson. “Andrew is a cancer survivor, and the canoe represents the difficult portage he went through during treatment. His team has participated in the Terry Fox Run since 2004 and has raised more than $100,000 over the years,” adds Davidson.
The Terry Fox Run has become a tradition in Canada, with people in more than 650 communities raising money for cancer research. It’s held in September to mark the time when Terry was forced to stop his Marathon of Hope in 1980. The event has surpassed $1 billion in funds raised for cancer research.
“The run… brings people together around a cause that has touched so many families. It was wonderful to see neighbours show up for one another and help carry Terry’s Marathon of Hope forward,” says Davidson.
