From left to right: Lynne Rochon, volunteer for the Terry Fox Run, Connie Johnston, Russell mayor Mike Tarnowski, Donna Lafrance, co-organizer for the Terry Fox Run, Louis Savoie, clerk department, Lucrezia Fréchette, Terry Fox Run organizing committee, Danielle Pilon, co-organizer for the Terry Fox Run, Linda Duhamul, Judy McFall, Terry Fox Run organizing committee, and Charles Armstrong, Russell councillor. (Gabrielle Vinette, EAP)
The annual Embrun-Russell Terry Fox Run is adding a new tradition to its fall fundraising efforts this year with the first-ever Terry Fox Week in Russell Township.
The week, running from September 14 to 18, officially began Monday with a proclamation and flag-raising ceremony at the Township. The initiative was organized by Terry Fox Run co-organizer Donna Lafrance, who said she wanted to increase awareness and participation in the local event.
“I said, ‘We need a Terry Fox Week,’” Lafrance said. “I wanted to increase our visibility, because we don’t have a lot of participants.”
The week will include community activities, including an event at the Russell library, while local schools will also contribute to the annual fundraising campaign.
The Terry Fox Run itself will take place Sunday, September 20, with participants able to join at either end of the Russell Township Fitness Trail.
Registration begins at 9 a.m., followed by a warm-up at 9:15 a.m. The official run begins at 9:30 a.m., with activities continuing until noon.
Participants can start in Russell behind Mother Teresa School or in Embrun at the Embrun Train Depot, beside Euphie d’ici Cafe and Smoothie Bar.
The event is open to participants using bicycles, rollerblades and wheelchairs, as well as those who choose to walk or run.
Lafrance has been involved with the local Terry Fox Run for many years and has served as an organizer for approximately 16 years. She said her involvement began through her friendship with former organizer Cindy and because she believed strongly in Terry Fox’s mission to raise money for cancer research.
That commitment was reinforced last year when Lafrance and fellow organizer Danielle Pilon were invited to visit cancer research laboratories in Ottawa through the Terry Fox Foundation.
The experience gave the organizers an opportunity to see firsthand the research supported by donations from Terry Fox Runs across the country.
Lafrance said researchers explained that the process from the beginning of a discovery to its eventual use with patients can take decades, with researchers repeatedly testing potential treatments and starting over when results do not work.
“It was very, very cool that we were able to see that,” she said.
A community-supported event
The Embrun-Russell run operates with a very limited budget. The organizers receive a small grant from Russell Township, but Lafrance said most of that funding goes toward renting an accessible toilet for the Russell site.
The organizers also purchased Terry Fox flags to display at both ends of the trail.
Despite the limited resources, Lafrance said community support has remained strong over the years.
The local run typically attracts approximately 200 participants, although organizers note that the number can be difficult to determine because people can register online, participate as groups or attend without formally registering.
Fundraising, meanwhile, continues to be a major objective.
As of Monday, September 14, the Embrun-Russell Terry Fox Run had raised more than $13,000 toward its $20,000 goal.
Last year, the local campaign raised approximately $31,000, helped in part by a trivia night that brought in about $6,500. School fundraising is also added to the community total.
Lafrance said organizers hope to continue building the event’s presence in local schools and throughout the community.
“We live in such an amazing community,” she said, describing the ongoing support from volunteers and donors.
Keeping Terry’s message alive
The Terry Fox Run has become an annual fall tradition across Canada, with hundreds of communities participating in fundraising for cancer research.
For the local organizers, the event is about more than completing a route.
Lafrance emphasized that participants do not have to run to take part. Walking, cycling, rollerblading or using a wheelchair are all ways to participate.
“We like participation,” she said, while also emphasizing the importance of donations to support cancer research.
The first Terry Fox Week is intended to help more residents recognize the event and its purpose, while giving the community additional opportunities to participate before Run Day.
The Embrun-Russell Terry Fox Run will take place September 20 from 9:30 a.m. to noon, with activities at both ends of the Russell Township Fitness Trail.
