Bagpipe Noel Chalmers, Dr. Andrew Wang and Terry's Team member Todd Wong

Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie walks with the crowd to the start line.

Platform party for the 2009 Terry Fox Run in Richmond BC: Terry's Team member Todd Wong, warm-up leader, Mayor Malcolm Brodie, John Yap MLA, Dr. Andrew Wang (Terry Fox Lab), Councilor McNulty, Miss BC Sandra Gin, Noel Chalmers (bagpiper).

Dr. Andrew Wang of the Terry Fox Lab in Vancouver gave a brief but excellent talk about how the monies raised are used at the Terry Fox Lab for cancer research - describing some of the important research that they do.

Terry Fox Run on Sunday, September 13th.

Todd Wong is Terry's Team member for Richmond run site

Terry's Team member Todd Wong, Doug Alward (Terry Fox's best friend who accompanied him on the Marathon of Hope) and Terry Fleming (Terry's high school basketball coach), meet at the 2007 Terry Fox Hometown Run in Coquitlam - photo D. Martin

Every year I speak at a Terry Fox Run site, and elementary schools.  This year I am speaking at the Richmond BC run site.
Garry Pt. Park
9am registration
10am race start

There will be some welcome messages, speeches by dignitaries, bagpiper Noel Chalmers and Taiko drummers!
Here's the message from Richmond run site organizer John Young:



It was in 1993, when Darrell Fox, Terry's younger brother, asked me to become a Terry's Team member.  He had heard me speaking about Terry on the radio, when I was interviewed after receiving the SFU Terry Fox Gold Medal.

Since that time, I have spoken at and participated in Terry Fox Runs at Vancouver Stanley Park, Burnaby Central Park, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, North Delta, Richmond, and even in Kelowna BC and in Beijing China!

I have helped to organize Terry Fox events at Simon Fraser University, when we started the inaugural SFU Terry Fox Day and a Terry Fox Run.  Incredibly, a Terry Fox Run had never happened at SFU before. Terry's Family attended the ceremonies and a trophy case featuring Terry's SFU tshirt were unveiled.

Here's a newspaper article featuring Noel Chalmers and his wife Kathleen.

Memory of Terry's run still powerful

The Terry Fox Run is the world's largest single day fundraiser for cancer research. All throughout, Metro Vancouver. all of BC, and all across Canada, Terry Fox Runs took place communities large and small. And also around the world. The Richmond BC run site is one of my favorites. It is organized by my friends John and Joan Young. Since 1993, I have been a Terry's team cancer survivor guest speaker in Burnaby, Vancouver, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, North Delta, Richmond, Kelowna, Beijing, and many elementary schools. Meeting different people, who all have a connection to Terry Fox or a cancer story, is one of the best things I enjoy at a Terry Fox Run. This year at the Richmond run, I met somebody who personally knew Terry, a woman whose sister is dying from cancer, and a young boy who heard me speak on Friday at Chief Maquinna School in Vancouver.   more »

Every year I speak at elementary schools as a Terry's Team member cancer survivor. This year I was invited to speak at Chief Maquinna Elementary by my friend, teacher Bill Hood. It was a very inspiring day. Ms. Wort is a teacher and a cancer survivor. She led a group singing of a song about Terry Fox, written by a former principal.    more »

Terry Fox is one of our greatest Canadians.  He is one of our greatest British Columbians.  This year he is featured in "The Party" display for the "Free Spirit" exhibition at the Royal BC Museum.

Terry Fox is one of my heroes.  In 1993, I was awarded the SFU Terry Fox Gold Medal for "courage in adversity" and "dedication to society."

Terry's brother, Darrell Fox, asked me to become a "Terry Team member"- cancer survivors who serve as living examples that cancer research has helped to make a difference.

Since 1993, I have spoken at Elementary Schools, and Terry Fox community runs throughout Metro Vancouver, as well as in Kelowna (2001, 2002) and Beijing China (1993).  It is a tremendous honour to share with both children and adults, how Terry Fox's "Marathon of Hope" has changed the lives of cancer victims, helping to turn them into cancer survivors.  I am certain that advances in cancer research helped to save my life from a near fatal cancer tumor in 1989.

Today, I was asked by elementary teacher Bill Hood, to speak at Chief Maquinna Elementary in Vancouver.  Bill wrote:


I was especially thrilled to accept this speaking engagement because I grew up about 6 blocks away from Chief Maquinna Elementary School.  It's very close to the old neighborhood I grew up in.

Usually when I go to an elementary school, I will talk about surviving cancer, using my personal experience as an example.  I talk about Terry Fox at Simon Fraser University, and include some of the stories that his former SFU friends, teachers, coaches and team mates have shared with me.

Sometimes I talk about running a Terry Fox Run in Beijing in 1993, or meeting Terry's mom, dad, brothers and sister.

Sometimes I bring my SFU Terry Fox Gold Medal or my plaque to show the students.  The plaque is engraved with Terry's words "Dreams are made if people try."

And in my life, I have been personally very interested in attending Terry Fox events, such as the unveiling of the Terry Fox $1 coin, visiting the Terry Fox statues in Victoria or Simon Fraser University.  Or even watching Terry Fox television specials or movies on television.

You can donate directly to the Terry Fox Run Donation:
Click here:
https://www.terryfoxrun.org/english/donations/donate/default.asp?s=1

Terry Fox National School Run Day: I speak at Cleveland Elementary as a Terry's Team cancer survivor


Students decorated the gymnasium with picture maps of the cities that Terry Fox visited on his 1980 Marathon of Hope.

In 2005, 9000 schools across Canada participated in the very first Terry Fox National School Run Day.  Hundreds of thousands of Elementary School children all participated in school assemblies about Terry Fox, watched videos of Terry Fox, then did their very own Terry Fox Run at their own school.

Last year I spoke at Cleveland Elementary School a week before the National School Run Day.  It was a very inspiring event.  We showed a video clip from the CBC television special 25 Years of Hope: The Legacy of Terry Fox, produced by my friend Moyra Rodger who also produced the GungHaggisFatChoy CBC TV performance special.
One of the parent/teacher representatives talked about how Terry Fox was a light for the world.  Then we watched a clip from the Terry Fox video "I Have a Dream," followed by a run for all the students.

This year the video "I Am Terry Fox" was shown then I was introduced.  I asked how many of the students remembered me coming to speak to them.  I told them that last year I was involved with a CBC television documentary crew that wanted to make a story about my family history and me as one of the central stories.  I told them that my great great grandfather Rev. Chan Yu Tan had come to Canada as a methodist preacher for the Chinese United Church.  His life had been dedicated to community service and so were the featured members of our family. 


Todd Wong guest speaker with Cleveland School Terry Fox Run organizers Debra Pascuzzi and Susan.

The documentary wanted to include my community service work such as speaking for Terry Fox Runs, and how I had overcome a near fatal cancer tumor in 1989.  So in the documentary there is a picture of me with no hair on my head.  I explained to the students that chemotherapy is a cancer-fighting drug that kills all the fast growing cells in the body, so your hair and fingernails stop growing.  I had lost all my hair due to the cancer treatment, and so had Terry.  Our hair actually grew back in curly.

This year, Terry's parents Betty and Rolly Fox and his sister Judith and brother Darrell all had their heads shaved to help promote the 2007 Terry Fox Run.  I asked the students why they thought the Fox's would shave their heads, and one little girl answered "to be like Terry."

"Yes!" I said, "they wanted to show compassion with other cancer fighters and help the public know what cancer fighters have to go through.  One small part is losing your hair."

At that point the video tech signalled me, and we started the Generations: The Chan Legacy dvd.  She had to skip more than halfway to get to the picture of me when I was 16 years old, healthy and holding up two freshly caught salmon.  The School Run organizer Debra Pascuzzi thought it would be good for the students to see me as a healthy youngster before I lost my hair.

The documentary talked about me facing the challenge of cancer and next showed me having lost my hair, but soon there were pictures of me speaking at a 1993 Terry Fox Run in Burnaby.  I talked about realizing that this was a "second life" for me, and how it was important to give back to the community.

Next the documentary showed footage from the 2006 Terry Fox Run in Richmond BC, where I was the guest speaker.  In the video I say thanks to all the participants for coming out to support cancer research.  Next the video showed how I became involved in dragon boat racing.

"Dragon Boat racing... that's what I do now, " I told the audience.  "I am healthy now, but when I had my cancer in 1989, it was a size of a large grapefruit behind my breast bone.  The doctors gave me a 60% chance to live with treatment.  Without treatment they said I would have died in two weeks.

"But cancer research has really improved since Terry Fox's time.  Many people who would have died 20 years ago, now recover and lead healthy lives.

"This week some of you or your parents might be attending the CIBC Run for the Cure, or maybe you participated in the Lance Armstrong event, or a different event.  Many of these events wouldn't exist today if it hadn't been for Terry Fox.  It was 27 years ago today that he ran the Marathon of Hope, which inspired the annual Terry Fox Run as a fundraiser for Cancer Research."

"And I want to thank each of you for helping to support and participate in the Terry Fox Run."

After I spoke, the MC explained what would happen during the school run.  But before that two grade 7 students came up to talk about Terry Fox.  The parent / teacher rep came up to ask and answer questions about Terry Fox and cancer.  The kindergarten, grade one and two students sang a song about Terry Fox.  Then we watched one more short video about Terry Fox, and headed out to the field.  What a fun inspiring day!


Cleveland Elementary School - pictures for hope and inspiration for Terry Fox Run - photo Todd Wong

See my Flickr site for more photos:

Terry Fox National School Run Day

Here are some of my related stories about Terry Fox and my cancer survival:

It is a unique look at fifty Canadians living with, or dying from cancer. Fifty stories spread throughout the country, and throughout a single day - June 15, 2006. These stories are incredibly moving. Some are inspiring. Some are sad. I can personally relate to many of the stories that Globe & Mail writer Erin Anderssen has collected. From stories of chemotherapy treatment to being strong for friends and relatives, from tearful relapses to joyful recovery and accomplishing athletic endeavors. I lived through many of these experiences with my family and friends. These are stories that will tug your heart strings. What really comes through in the stories are the importance of partners, family and friends.I don't know what I would have done without my family and girlfriend at the time. There were times that felt very lonely. There were times when it felt good just to have company. There were times when family and friends really took their own initiatives to help. Some people could talk about it - others couldn't. The "C word" still really scared a lot of people back in 1989.   more »

Imagine if schools across Canada, all held their Terry Fox Run at the exact same time across Canada. 10am in BC, 11am in Alberta, 12noon in Winnipeg, 1pm in Ottawa, 2pm in Halifax, 2:30pm in NewFoundland.... ~~~~ This year I was invited to speak at Tomsett Elementary School in Richmond. I always speak at Elementary Schools for Terry Fox Run, as a Terry's Team member - cancer survivors who serve as living examples that cancer research has helped to make a difference.   more »

Terry Fox is a light: a speech by a parent-teacher representative.



Why am I here today, that’s a very good question! When I was asked back in June to take on the job as coordinator of the Terry Fox Run, my first response was, aarrgh!!!  Julia!!! All I wanted to do in Sept. once my children were back in school was to set up a studio and paint, but how could I say no to the Terry Fox Run???

To be honest, it is truly an honor to be here today. So I would like to thank Julia for thinking of me, and Sandra Pascuzzi our new VP, for making it so easy for me. With all the help of the teachers, the students who collected pledges, and the numerous parent volunteers, there wasn’t much for me to do, except this one thing.

A week later, the reason I wound up in this position became very clear to me as I was sitting in Mosquito creek. It’s amazing what comes to you when you are daydreaming!  I WAS meant to paint a picture, but not an acrylic on canvas, a picture I perceived of Terry Fox. So that’s why I am here today, to share with you this picture, which comes from a very peaceful place and my inspiration is Terry Fox.

Terry was a young man whose simple objective, through the Marathon of Hope, was to inform Canadians of the importance of finding a cure for cancer. I believe that Terry had the greatest cure in him all along.

Let’s call it a light for now! A light in Terry that shone so brightly, even in such a dark place as cancer, it rekindled a light in everyone he passed and therefore grew stronger and stronger. One on-looker Terry passed in Toronto commented, “He makes you believe in the human race again.” What is this light, which not only restores our faith in the human race, but can restore the human race itself? If you are with me, just find a word and hold it for a few seconds. If you are daydreaming, stay with it, something great will come eventually!!!

I’m going to use the word, COMPASSION!
Compassion comes from the latin words ‘com’ which means together and ‘passia’ which means a suffering, together in suffering. By definition, it means a deep sympathy or sorrow followed by an urge to help. According to just a few of the many beautiful examples you wrote about, it can mean helping someone who is ill by keeping them company, doing things they enjoy, phoning them so they don’t feel alone, laughing with them, gathering friends, or giving them hope. I think one of the greatest and simplest forms of compassion is just to listen. Often we don’t have the words of wisdom to help someone who is sad or ill, but if you are present to allow whatever expression is needed at the time then that is a great gift in itself. Sometimes, there just are no words.

Compassion, I believe, has the greatest healing power of all and Terry shared his life to help us realize the power we have in all of us to help others heal. Medicine can cure a disease, but only we can heal a whole person. We bless each other!

The driver of Terry’s van while running across Canada, also his best friend Doug Alward, has been quoted “I remember Terry saying it is almost like this has been planned for a greater purpose”. At that point, I think he got the picture.

There have been many men and woman who have walked this earth for such a great purpose, Nelson Mandella, Ghandi, Mother Theresa,  the architect Buckminster Fuller, Rick Hansen, Simon Jackson, head of the spirit bear coalition, and the list goes on.
However, only one young man, running so passionately with one leg could touch the young people so brilliantly. Terry’s purpose was to raise money for cancer research and stop the suffering, but inadvertently, he also raised an awareness in all of us of one the greatest cures of all, COMPASSION.

Today, let’s run TOGETHER with open hearts in support of Terry’s dream and follow everyday in his footsteps with that brilliant light of compassion to help those who are SUFFERING.

Life is sacred, let’s have a great RUN at it.

THANK YOU!!!

Terry Fox Coin, Todd with Doug Alward and Terry Fleming (Terry Fox's best friend, and high school basketball coach), at 2005 Hometown Run in Coquitlam, BC.

Terry Fox Run at Cleveland Elementary School - I am guest speaker

Each year I speak at one or more elementary schools as a Terry's Team member.  I explain that we are cancer survivors who serve as living examples that cancer research has made a difference.  And that is what Terry Fox wanted to do - make a difference.

Cleveland Elementary is in North Vancouver, located just off Capilano Road, just North of the Capilano Suspension Bridge - but on the East side of Capilano Road.  It's not too far away from my home in North Vancouver, so it was easy to get to.  On September 29th, the National School Run Day, I will speak at Tomsett Elementary in Richmond, BC.

The entire school turned out for the Terry Fox assembly.  As children from Kindergarten to Grade 6 filed into the gymnasium, a slide show of images of Terry Fox, and a map of where he ran in Canada played on the video screen.

We sang O Canada in first french, then English.  Capilano is a bi-lingual school.  This was fun, as I think it was the first time I had sung O Canada in French.

Vice-Principal Sandra Pascuzzi introduced me after welcoming all the students, and saying a brief introduction about Terry Fox.  I explained to the students what it meant to be a Terry's Team member and a cancer survivor, then introduced a tape from last year's Terry Fox National Run Day that aired on CBC, produced by my friend Moyra Rodger.  It showed a brief history of Terry, then showed school children in Ottawa, Brampton Ontario, and Victoria BC.  I asked how many participated in last year's National Run, and explained that while they were participating, that particular Terry Fox video was airing live across the country, and that there were over 5000 schools across Canada and over one million students participating.

I explained when I was 29 years old, I was diagnosed with cancer.  It was a scary moment.  But I remembered that Terry Fox had initially survied his cancer diagnosis, and the doctors told me that I could too.  I had chemotherapy treatment for 5 months.

In 1993, Simon Fraser University gave me the Terry Fox Gold medal for courage in adversity and dedication to society.  I held up the plaque with the picture of Terry Fox, and read the words, "Canadians are inspired by Terry's challenge:... 'dreams are made if people try.'"  I emphasized to the students that is important to always try - otherwise dreams may never happen.  That's what I had to do to beat my cancer.  I had to try, and not give up.

I explained to the students that every year, I speak and run at a different Terry Fox run site.  I have been a Terry's Team member for Vancouver Stanley Park, Burnaby, SFU, North Delta, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Kelowna BC, and even in Beijing China.  I asked the students how many countries now participated in Terry Fox Runs around the world.  One boy answered "A lot." 
"That's right," I replied, "A lot - too many for me to remember.  There are now run sites in Africa, Europe, Australia, Asia, North and South America.  I told the students that I would be speaking this year at the Richmond run site, but that I have spoken at both the North and West Vancouver run sites before.  I then asked who had attended or was going to them, then asked them to identify the sites. After numerous "I don't know" answers, I informed them that the West Vancouver run was at Ambleside Beach, and the North Vancouver Run was at Inter-River Park.

I closed up my talk by telling the children that with any event, you must do your preparation.  Before running across the Canada, Terry ran the equivalent in practice.  That way he knew he could do it.  I related this to doing your homework.  If you want to do well in school, you must be prepared.

Following my talk, the beginning excerpt of the Terry Fox video "I Have a Dream" was played.  Judy, a parent teacher representative, then gave a lovely talk about Terry being a bright light in the world.  She said that Terry already had the answer to finding a cure for many of our problems, and that the answer was inside of us.  She asked the children what they thought the answer was.  "Stenghth", "friendship" and "courage," were some of the replies.  Judy said her answer was "Compassion - which means caring for others."  For her that was what Terry Fox embodied and how he gave hope to Canadians and to people around the world.

The event wrapped up with an exercise warm-up, and then everybody went down to the lower field and did a run, along the neighborhood streets.  It was fun running with the students.  I ended up talking with a mother who came to the school to run with her daughter.  We had a great chat about Terry Fox and what he means to people.  Some students asked me if I really had cancer.  Others simply smiled and waved to me.

After I finished the run, I walked back towards the school.  A parent named Darrell commented that the kids had more enthusiasm than most of the people who attend the main run sites.  I shared with him that each run site really has its own personality.  He asked me if I was a parent.  When I explained that I had been the guest speaker, and a cancer survivor, he shared that in 1991, he had been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma.  It was scary for him, because he had had a cousin that had died from Hodgkin's in 1980.  But now many people survive because cancer treatments have improved.

We were both cancer survivors.  And that is the legacy of Terry Fox.  Attending a Terry Fox Run is a real honest to goodness, feel good event.  People are happy.  People are inspired.  It is always a joy to attend and to thank people for donating them time and their money.  I know that if it wasn't for Terry Fox, and the advances in cancer research - that I might not be alive today.

If you would like to donate to the Terry Fox Run.  You can donate to my on-line pledge sheet.  Terry's team members offer to run for people who cannot run themselves.  Just click on:
http://www.terryfoxrun.org/ENRunner/default.asp?s=1&RunnerID=42768

Terry Fox Run



Terry Fox is one of Canada's greatest heroes.

Terry Fox has a special place in my heart.

Every year since 1993, I am a Terry's Team member, cancer survivors who serve as living examples that cancer research has helped to make a difference.  This year, I am a guest speaker at the Richmond BC run site.

Being a Terry's Team member is very special.  I am glad to be a cancer survivor, but I would prefer it if there were no more new members.\

Todd with Terry's Best Friend - Doug Alward, and Terry's high school basketball coach - Terry Fleming.  photo Deb Martin

In 1989 - I survived a near fatal cancer tumor behind my breastbone.  Without treatment, the doctors said, I might have lasted two weeks.  Instead, I was on chemotherapy for 5 months from June 21st to November.

I speak at different run sites, and elementary schools each year  throughout Greater Vancouver.  I have spoken at run sites in Burnaby, Vancouver, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, North Delta, Kelowna BC, and even in Beijing China in 1993.

Wednesday evening I attended the planning committee meeting for the Richmond run site, organized by my friends John and Joan Young, who are avid runners.  They introduced me to the planning team.  It's a good group.  Last year the Richmond run site attracted 500 participants.  The run starts at Garry Point Park on the Southwestern tip of Richmond, right beside the community of Steveston.  We will run North along the dike.  A 10 km run will take you all the way to Westminster Hwy and back.

Please join me.

Sunday Sept 17 10am
Garry Point Park, Richmond
(Southwest of Steveston).

You can make an online donations to the Terry Fox Run Foundation can be made with me as your own special "Terry's Team member" here:
https://www.terryfoxrun.org/

BCIT broadcast journalism students covered the Port Coquitlam "Hometown" Terry Fox Run on Sept 18, attended by 13,000 people.  One of those students was camera person Alex Rawnsley.

Alex and his reporter partner interviewed me in my role as a Terry's Team Member - cancer survivors who demonstrate that cancer research does make a difference.

Their story about the Terry Fox Run is the lead story, and part of the interview with me, made the final cut - Yippee!!!

Watch the SHAW tv on Sunday 1:30pm.

Hi Todd

My name is Alex Rawnsley, I was the shooter at the Terry Fox Run and also the commentator at the Taiwanese Dragon Boat Festival.

BCIT Magazine will air Sunday at 1.30pm on Shaw TV. It may be repeated, however I don't know when. The story made the show and is actually the lead story which is fantastic. Part of your interview made the final cut.

Thanks for stopping and I hope the rest of the run went well for you

Alex

Terry Fox has a place in the heart of every Canadian.  I also believe there is room for Terry's mother Betty Fox in our hearts too.  Just watching her on the tv special, Terry Fox: 25 Years of Legacy, and at the Terry Fox "hometown" Run in Port Coquitlam. show confirmed for me, that Betty Fox is a quintessential mother for all Canadians.

Betty Fox has tirelessly talked at elementary schools, universities and run sites across our country, and in other countries as well. Her two sons Fred, and Darrell, had been former directors of the BC Yukon Terry Fox Run offices.  Darrell is now National Run director.

On Friday, September 16, over one million school children across our vast country participated in the first-ever Terry Fox National School Day Run.  From St. John's in NewFound Land, to Victoria on Vancouver Island in BC.

To have Betty and Rolly Fox interviewed for the tv special while school children ran in the background was very important.
To have live television coverage of this event from different points across our country was very important.  At now other time in our nation, have over one million people all participated together in a single event.

And yet television coverage was almost jeopardized by the CBC lockout.  Moyra Rodger of Out To See Productions has been working tirelessly over the past year to produce the tv special that was shown twice on the weekend.  Over the past year, she filmed footage of interviews with significant people in Terry's life, as well as events such as the Canadian Mint coin launch for the $1 Terry Fox coin at Simon Fraser University.  Because of the CBC lockout, the project was threatened.  Scaled  back, and switched to an independent production, it continued on. On the morning of Friday, Sep 16th, Moyra recieved a 6am phone call that a picket line was blocking the St. John's camera crew.

I had a heart-felt talk with Moyra on Sunday night.  She had been the producer for the Gung Haggis Fat Choy television special that aired in 2004 and 2005, and was nominated for two Leo Awards.  I knew how much Terry Fox now meant to her.  Both Darrell Fox and I sung her praises to each other when we chatted at the coin launch.  Moyra is a compassionate worker, and includes people in the process.  Both Darrell and I felt that our own stories and interests were represented and respected by Moyra.  And here she was, exhausted from a long 2 weeks of filming and editing, getting the show finished for its 8pm airing just seconds in time.

We talked about how important it was for the country to have the television special go ahead, and what Terry means to Canadians.  She herself, had questions about proceeding during the CBC lockout.  She wouldn't have done it for a hockey game she told me.  But Terry Fox is special.  I told her that Darrell Fox had told me at times, "What would Terry do?"  Does this event raise people's inspiration and connect them to Terry's dream.  It's important.  period.

more later....

Today is the first day of the rest of my life. It's also the day after I attended the Terry Fox Run in Port Coquitlam known as the Home Town Run... I am a cancer survivor... and one of my friends just passed away from cancer.   more »

Terry Fox Run Day - I go to the Port Coquitlam "Hometown Run"

Very exciting day today...  I went to the "hometown" Terry Fox Run in Port Coquitlam at Hyde Park Recreation Centre.  There were thousands of people, it was hard to count.  I saw a sea of people when I arrived. Moyra Rodger, producer of the CBC special, told me that the attendance was 10,000.  Wow!  I have spoken at Terry Fox Runs as small as 65 to 70, and as large as 1,500... but 10,000 people!

Special speakers were Rick Hansen, Premier Gordon Campbell, Prime Minister Paul Martin, Betty Fox.  The event was MC'ed by Greg Moore's father.  Lots of media cameras there.  I took some pictures too!


Premier Gordon Campbell takes off his right shoe and gives it to Betty Fox, when she complains she doesn't have a "Adidas Terry Fox running shoe" - a very funny moment... - photo Todd Wong


I was interviewed by CTV, they had called me yesterday asking if I could contact them when I got there.  They got my number from the Terry Fox Run BC office, as I often speak to media in my role as a Terry's Team member - cancer survivors serving as living examples that cancer research has made a difference.  I also saw a BCIT broadcast media student Alex, who had done the commentating for the Taiwanese Dragon Boat Races - he was there with a camera and a reporter doing a story on the Terry Fox Run too!  Will have to remember to watch CTV tonight!



I showed the reporters my SFU Terry Fox Gold Medal, from 1993.  I often take it out to school visits, but this was the first time I had taken it to a run.  I explained that Terry recieved the inaugural medal, and that it is given anually to somebody exemplifying the qualities of "courage in adversity and dedication to society."  Rick Hansen is a medal recipient too.

As I did the run, I would talk to some of the participants.  After talking with one woman and her daughter, she said she knew me and explained out mutual friends.  I remembered Brenda Seraphim, and when I learned that her daughter was doing the run for the first time, I reached into my pocket and gave 10 year old Nicola a Terry Fox $1 coin.

Along the way, I met more people who were running for their daughter Teresa - a two time cancer survivor, and another woman Dolores, a cancer survivor.  Marylou's friend Angelo Lee, was featured in the CBC tv special - Terry Fox: 25 Years of legacy.  I saw a young family with the 1993 Terry Fox Run shirt, and we were amazed it was the first year either of us had done the run.  I gave Terry Fox $1 coins to each of their small children. 

A very special feature of the Port Coquitlam Terry Fox Run, is that it goes past Terry Fox Secondary School, where the Terry Fox Ravens cheerleading squad was stationed doing cheers for people running and walking past.  Many people detoured to the front of the school where a stature of Terry is placed.  A school teacher and her students were taking pictures of people with the statue for donations.  I brought out my medal for the picture, and they thanked me for making a special moment for them.  I gave them each a Terry Fox coin.


Todd Wong cancer survivor with Doug Alward and Terry Fleming - photo Deb Martin

Special moments for me were meeting Terry's basket ball coach Terry Fleming and Doug Alward, Terry Fox's best friend who drove the van and accompanied Terry on the Marathon of Hope.  Doug and Terry were pleased to see the SFU Terry Fox Medal, as I told them Terry recieved the inaugural medal.  Doug gave me a picture of himself and Terry walking on the St. John's harbour beach in New Foundland where they started the run.  I also talked briefly with Betty and Rolly Fox, Terry's parents.  I was very happy to know that they loved the new CTV movie "Terry" that was shown twice this week, starring Shawn Ashmore. Doug and Terry Fleming really enjoyed it too - remarking that the actor who played Doug Alward, did a very good job capturing Dougl's subtle and quiet ways - even if the actor was almost twice as big as Doug is in real life.

While my friends Brenda and Nicola were waiting in line to see Betty Fox, run organizers came to Betty and told her that the run had collected pledge amounts of 100,000 dollars.  Amazing!  She was very happy.


Brenda and Nicola pose for a picture after meeting Betty Fox - photo Deb Martin

It's not too late to donate funds for the Terry Fox Run.  You can donate online at www.terryfoxrun.org.

I am very happy to be a Terry's Team member.  I know that Terry Fox has become a big part of my life, not only because of speaking at run sites and elementary schools, or helping to start Terry Fox Day at SFU, but also by thinking about the values that Terry strived for.  Cancer changes lives, and it is how we deal with the change that determines how we live our lives. I believe that Canadians are better people because of what Terry reminds us about ourselves.  We all can make a difference.

more updates to come...

Here are links to some recent news stories about Terry Fox

Globe & Mail, Saturday Sep  17
about the unveiling of a new statue of Terry in Victoria

Globe & Mail, Sunday Sep  18
about the "hometown" run in Port Coquitlam

Watched the CBC 2 hour special last night that celebrated the Friday National Terry Fox Run Day, interspersed with interviews, stories and footage of Terry and the Marathon of Hope.  Pretty amazing...
host Jody Vance interviewed Betty and Rolly Fox at the Clover Point Park site where many many school children were there for a run and unveiling of a brand new Terry Fox statue.

Segments were shown "live" from Brampton and Ottawa Ontario too!  It's really too bad, that the CBC is in lock-out mode, as this is a scaled down version of what probably would have gone coast to coast from St. John's to Victoria and included a few more cities.

It's great that a Terry Fox statue will now be at Mile 0, in Beacon Hill Park in Victoria.  This is a stone's throw away from where Terry would have dipped his leg into the Pacific Ocean, to mark the significance of his coast to coast run, started by dipping his leg in the Atlantic Ocean harbour of St. John's NewFoundland.

The 2 hour special ran without commercials, and was produced by Moyra Rodger of Out To See Productions, who also did the Gung Haggis Fat Choy tv performance special.  There were some great stories from people who had met Terry along the way, such as Rick Hansen, Daryl Sittler, his highschool basketball coach Terry Fleming, his nurse from New Westminster's Royal Columbia Hospital.

Some of the stories are very familiar, having heard them before, such as Daryl Sittler saying that as much as Terry wanted to me him, he really wanted to meet Terry.  But they all sound fresh and familiar at the same time, like seeing your favorite music artist performing the same songs again, but with new arrangements.

Looking forward to attending the Port Coquitlam hometown run for my first time tomorrow....