Giant steps to follow as organizers re-create historic Terry Fox run through Bowmanville July 9
Published June 27, 2024 at 10:08 am
Terry Fox’s historic – and at the time, relatively unheralded – Marathon of Hope run through Bowmanville will be recreated July 9 in the hopes of drumming up interest in the annual Terry Fox Run this September.
The commemoration of Fox’s run through Bowmanville will start at the former Bowmanville Zoo on King Street East at noon and finish at Temperance and King Street near city hall. Members of the public are invited to join dignitaries and runners, or just cheer them on.
“When Terry ran down Highway 2 through Bowmanville 44 years ago, he was still a bit of an unknown. It wasn’t until he got to Toronto that folks started to really pay attention,” said Steve Kay, organizer of the annual Bowmanville Terry Fox Run. “This year, to get people excited about the annual run, a small group of dignitaries and runners will be re-creating that historic event.”
Terry Fox was born on July 28, 1958 and began his historic run in 1980 after one of his legs was amputated because of cancer. He dipped his leg in the Atlantic Ocean, with a goal of dipping it in the Pacific Ocean on the other side of the country, but the cancer came back when he was running through Thunder Bay, forcing him to end the run.
He died on June 28, 1981 and is considered a Canadian hero and an icon.
“This year, we really want to spike a record level of interest for the Terry Fox Run, which will happen — as it always does — on the third Sunday of September,” said Kay. “We’re working to recruit more corporate teams, and new members of our community. There will be many new activities for kids at the event in September.”
To register yourself or a team for the Terry Fox Run, visit: https://run.terryfox.ca/55936
