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....

CBC TV is showing a tv special about Terry Fox on Friday Night - from 8pm to 10pm.  It's difficult finding any details about it, but I think this is the one produced by Moyra Rodger who produced the Gung Haggis Fat Choy tv special in 2004.  Here's a media release from www.publicairwaves.ca  about the planned events that are being scaled back because for the CBC lock-out.

I have really been looking forward to this tv special, as I saw them filming the Canadian Mint coin launch for the Terry Fox $1 coin.  Darrell Fox and I exchanged wonderful praises of what it was like working with Moyra.


Me with Darrell Fox at the Terry Fox coin launch - photo Deb Martin.

Checking the CBC website, I found their archive collection of Terry Fox news clips - pretty amazing - documenting his journey from before to after.  Check it out!

I will be attending the Port Coquitlam Hometown Run this year.  This is my 13th year of being a Terry's Team member, cancer survivors who serve as living examples that cancer research has made a difference.  I have always spoken at Terry Fox Run sites each year throughout the Lower Mainland, sometimes 3 in one day - but I have never before attended the Hometown Run.  Special guests include The Fox Family, Rick Hansen + Prime Minister Paul Martin.  There will also be a Rod Stewart impersonator singing the song "Never Give Up On a Dream" which Rod wrote for Terry.

Today Friday morning, I spoke at Nootka Elementary school in my role as Terry's Team member, cancer survivors who are living examples that cancer research has helped to make a difference.    more »

My friend Aislynn Drysdale paddled this year on the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team. She also works at the BC Cancer Agency, and made arrangements for City TV to do a story with Darrell Fox. She is also planning on running the Terry Fox Run and is welcoming pledges. Here is her message...   more »

Tuesday evening, I went to see Rev. Candace Frank in the hospital. She's the wonderful minister for the Centre for Spiritual Living. I love attending Sunday morning services and always get great hugs from her .   more »

I spoke at Sherwood Park elementary in Deep Cove today for their 2nd annual Terry Fox Run assembly.    more »

Tonight premieres the brand new Terry Fox movie starring Sean Ashton. 

7pm, Sunday Sep 11
CTV

Advance notice on the movie is pretty good, focussing on Terry's internal journey instead of merely reporting what happened.  We all are very familiar with the events, but what actually went on in Terry's head, or the social dynamics with his brother Darrell and best friend Doug Alward are stories to be revealed.

CBC started a documentary about Terry Fox, produced by my friend Moyra Rodger (CBC's TV performance special Gung Haggis Fat Choy).  Moyra was very excited earlier this year when I saw here filming clips during the Canadian Mint unveiling of the Terry Fox $1 coin.  Darrell Fox was very up on the production, and we both shared praises of Moyra. 

All that is in jeopardy with the CBC lock-out, that Canadian cultural expert Max Wyman told me "is such a waste!"  Canadians are deprived of Canadian culture, and all the support that CBC gives to our artists and events.

The Fox Family was featured on Shelagh Rogers' Sounds Like Canada for the anniversary of Terry's dip into the Atlantic Ocean - broadcast live from New Foundland, as CBC did an incredible job on radio and television focusing on Terry's achievements, 25 years later.

If you love Terry Fox, and want to see the television documentary, and hear CBC radio tell more stories about Terry - Call your local MP, write letters to your newspaper, and to CBC management.  I think the CBC lockout is a travesty to the trust and legacy of Canadian culture and artists.  As grateful, as I am to both CBC radio and television for promoting and documenting Gung Haggis Fat Choy, I know the difference between the producers, radio hosts and national management decision makers.

Everybody has a dream. In 1980, Terry Fox wanted to raise $1 from every Canadian for cancer research. But in 1976, when he graduated from Port Coquitlam Secondary School, Terry's dream was to be a member of the SFU Varsity Basketball team. PICTURES   more »