Junior high students at Crescent Heights High School, from left, Haylee Zuzak, Cassie Wessner, Kylee Dollimont and Daisha Chitura all ran the Terry Fox Run Thursday morning, with a couple proudly sporting Terry Fox Run face tattoos.--NEWS PHOTO SAMANTHA JOHNSON
reporter@medicinehatnews.com
Crescent Heights High School held its annual Terry Fox Run on Thursday, an event normally held at the end of September but adjusted this year to best fit student schedules.
Nearly 600 middle school students at Crescent Heights were spread out walking and running around the school track when the News arrived.
“I think we had most kids out today,” said humanities and physical educations teacher Andrew Lawson, who has been one of run’s organizers for the past 15 years. “Often in the past we’ve had a few high school classes come out as well, but they are on a different schedule right now so it’s more difficult for them.”
Lawson’s fundraising catch tag for the event is ‘Toonies for Terry.’
“The challenge I have is everybody try to bring a toonie for Terry,” Lawson said. “I ask them, if you buy a Starbucks each day or go get doughnuts, how about that day you donate your $2 to Terry Fox instead.”
Crescent Heights normally fundraises by donation only, but sometimes different classes will create challenges as well. Over the past five years, the school has raised $6,000 for the Terry Fox Foundation.
“It varies from year to year,” explained Lawson. “We range from between $400 to over $1,000 each year depending on the economy and how things are going, and if families are able to donate.”
The wonderful thing about a school Terry Fox Run is it gets the students moving for a cause, Lawson says.
“The Terry Fox Run gives our kids a chance to get outside and be aware of the world around them. The Terry Fox Foundation is a big group in our country and it’s important for the kids to understand what that is. Also, they get to be outside and have a bit of activity and recognize the importance of that, especially as Terry Fox pushed that when he was on his Marathon of Hope.”
During the morning, Lawson showed his Grade 7 class a short video put out by the Terry Fox Foundation that outlines Terry’s legacy and the fundraising that goes on across the country. It also explains how the foundation has expanded outside Canada and is now known around the world for its efforts to fight and beat cancer.
