Fifteen years ago, Evelyn Campeau's teenage son Robert was diagnosed with bone cancer, the same cancer Terry Fox had. A Notre Dame High School student, he was only 18 years old when he died.
“His story is just so similar to Terry's story,” Campeau said.
Ever since then, she has organized the annual Terry Fox Run in Bonnyville. About 50 people participated in this year's Sept. 19 run and raised $1,200 at press time.
Participants ran, walked, biked or rollerbladed around Jessie Lake. And some, including seven-month-old Isabella Youngchief, were pushed in a stroller.
“There's a lot of kids this year, which is good to see,” said Campeau.
When she first started the run in Bonnyville, a couple hundred people participated. But since the schools now hold their own runs, fewer people come out.
A lot of the same people participate every year, said Doreen Kushnir, who has been organizing the event with Campeau for the past 10 years. “It's nice to see them run every year.”
Participants collect pledges that get sent to the Terry Fox Foundation for cancer research.
Although she had participated in Terry Fox Runs in the past, this year was Sandra Youngchief's first Terry Fox Run in Bonnyville. She came in a group of 18 that included her foster children, some children from her neighbourhood, and her husband and his friends. The first to arrive, she said her husband was “pumped,” as it was his first Terry Fox Run.
The grandmother of one of her foster children had died of cancer, making the event meaningful for them, she said.
She wants to help organize the event next year, and said more people need to be encouraged to participate in the run.
“It's a great event and we plan on doing it for years to come,” said Kushnir.
“I will as long as I can,” said Campeau.
“Well you have to, you're my partner,” laughed Kushnir.
Across Canada, the run always takes place the third Sunday in September. According to the Terry Fox Foundation website, Terry Fox knew that Canadians would continue his fight against cancer by holding annual runs. On Sept. 1, 1980, after 143 days and 5,373 km, Fox had to stop running because cancer had appeared in his lungs. He chose the month of September for the annual run, because it represented when he had to stop running and Canadians had to start.
On July 10, 1980, less than two months before he was forced to stop running, Fox had said, “Even if I don't finish, we need others to continue. It's got to keep going.”