By Erin Knutson

The Terry Fox Community Run is slated to arrive in Fernie on Sept. 20, with the unanimous support of city council.

The run received unanimous support from council during its July 14 meeting at the Seniors Centre.

“All are welcome and encouraged to attend,” said organizers Heather Hammett and Pam Rannelli, who championed the fight against cancer on a community level in a letter to Mayor Nic Milligan, council and city staff.

Terrance Stanley Fox began his legacy at 21, when he took to the streets across Canada to run for hope, perseverance, and cancer research. Fox was an amputee after losing his leg in a battle against the disease. The Canadian-born Port Coquitlam-raised long-distance runner and basketball player was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in 1977.

In 1980, undeterred by his condition, Fox, with a prosthetic leg, started a tradition of raising money and awareness for the disease to support cancer research through the Marathon of Hope. His goal was to raise $1 for Canada’s population at the time, which would have netted $24 million.

He rose to fame through his daily marathons across provinces but eventually had to stop early because of the spread of cancer to his lungs, to which he succumbed that year.

The annual Terry Rox Run was founded in 1981 and has been going strong for over four decades.

“After several years, organizers in Sparwood are unable to hold a run. It is Fernie’s turn. Given how many of our citizens are touched by cancer either personally or through friends and family, we could not let this worthy cause go without a presence in the Elk Valley,” said Hammett and Rannelli of sponsoring it this season.

The pair encouraged the business community, employees, and the city to sign up, create teams and spread Fox’s message in a show of unity. A request to raise the city hall flag during a ceremony was part of the appeal to Fernie to honour the event and to stand with other towns and cities across Canada that would raise official flags during September 14-20 in a demonstration of solidarity toward Fox’s mission.

“We would request that the council entertain this possibility. We have a flag from the Terry Fox Foundation, and this action would raise the visibility of this important fundraising event, as we hope to engage as many Fernie residents as possible. We would also request permission to promote the event on the sign in front of the arena,” they said.

The family-friendly, inclusive event features options to run two km and five km along Fernie’s scenic pathways and is completely volunteer-led with no operating budget to cover expenses. It relies on volunteers to make it a reality.

“The support from the City of Fernie is crucial,” said Hammett. “Their unanimous endorsement means we can reach more people and raise even greater awareness for cancer research.”

Mayor Milligan and council supported a resolution with staff to include the flag-raising ceremony, while unanimously endorsing the event and its promotion on city media channels in the coming months.

“We want to support this event in any way we can and bring awareness to it through city channels,” said Milligan.

The organizing committee invites everyone in Fernie and the surrounding area to join the run, form teams, and contribute to the cause.

For more information and to support the Fernie Terry Fox Run, visit the official fundraising page at https://run.terryfox.ca/129459.

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