Tara Lee and her two children, Irene Brassard, Doris Nadeau, Anne Trotter, Diane Laboucan, Joanne Cloutier, and Gerard Fillion. The group managed to raise over $3,300 for cancer research. Lessard says the funds raised proves how committed the community is to raising awareness for cancer. Fifteen people participated in the 3.3 km run this year. Individuals ran, walked, rode bikes and even wheeled themselves through the course.

The Smoky River region held its 28th annual Terry Fox Run on Sept. 14, coinciding with thousands of similar events throughout the world. Participants managed to raise $3,300 for cancer research and awareness in Terry Fox’s honour. Fifteen people participated in the event held as a 3.3 km run throughout the town. “Individuals were welcome to run, skip, walk, jump, crawl and used motorized wheelchairs in the event,” says organizer Francis Lessard. “The main objective was to raise awareness for cancer research.” The race is held every year at the beginning of September to remember the amazing feat that Terry Fox accomplished by running across Canada in an effort to raise money for cancer research. “This is a really busy time of the year in the area, with harvest a priority,” says Lessard. “But even those who didn’t have time to participate donated money to individuals who were running.” The course was held strictly on pavement this year to make running more comfortable in the event that weather did not cooperate. “We usually have school kids running,” says Lessard. “They took part in Terry Fox events on Friday at school instead.” Lessard explains that he hopes there will be more participants for next year’s run, but thanks everyone who came out this year. Terry Fox was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and raised in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, a community near Vancouver on Canada’s west coast. An active teenager involved in many sports, Terry was only 18 years old when he was diagnosed with bone cancer and forced to have his right leg amputated 15 centimetres (six inches) above the knee in 1977. While in hospital, Terry was so overcome by the suffering of other cancer patients, many of them young children, that he decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. On September 1st, after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres (3,339 miles), Terry was forced to stop running outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario because cancer had appeared in his lungs. Terry passed away on June 28, 1981 at age 22. To date, more than $400 million has been raised worldwide for cancer research in Terry’s name through the annual Terry Fox Run, held across Canada and around the world. This year over 5,000 races were held throughout the world, in rural and urban centres, to raise cancer awareness and funds for cancer research.