John Forzani honoured at annual Mother’s Day run

CALGARY – A record number of Calgarians started their Mother’s Day at Chinook Centre Sunday morning.

Almost 20,000 people attended the annual Sport Check Mother’s Day Run, Walk and Ride.

It’s a turnout that would likely bring a smile to the face of John Forzani, who in 1977 started the run and walk to honour his mom.

The annual Mother’s Day Run Walk and Bike has come a long way since its humble beginnings.

“This race has been going on for 38 years. We started off at McMahon Stadium, I think there were 400 runners at the time and it has just grown and grown and grown, Linda Forzani said, the wife of the late John Forzani.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This race has been going on for 38 years. We started off at McMahon Stadium, I think there were 400 runners at the time and it has just grown and grown and grown, Linda Forzani said, the wife of the late John Forzani.

Almost twenty-thousand participate Sunday but it’s the first time the man who started it all is missing from the crowd.

“This is the first run without John,” Mayor Naheed Nenshi said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This is the first run without John," Mayor Naheed Nenshi said.

Ex-Stampeder, business tycoon and philanthropist John Forzani died from heart attack last October.

Sunday’s crowd gathered for a special tribute.

Together John and Linda, affectionately known as “the bird”, were a family with the pinnacle of John’s pride being his children, daughter Jodi and son Michael.

“He played for the Stamps for a number of years, he was an offensive lineman. He hurt his knees to right after, he decided to open up a shoe store,” Michael Forzani said. 

That shoe store eventually became a major North American chain called Forzani’s.

“When you add the fact that he’s a good guy and he did so much for the community, it’s a good time for us to remember him today,” Mayor Naheed Nenshi said.

Part of Forzani’s legacy is passed on to children like Layne and Liberty, twins born more than a month premature.

“They spent 26 days in the Rockyview NICU. It was a really hard experience. They were real troopers,” Lori Armitage, the mother of the premature twins said.

At least $200,000 will be raised at this event to improve neonatal care for the newest, tiniest Calgarians.

While participants gather to celebrate their mothers love, many know a legend is running alongside.

“It’s lovely to be here and to see what has come out of that first little tiny race. I miss him terribly but it’s really really great to see everybody here with big smiles and all the families and kids. I can feel him here. He’s here with us for sure,” Jodi Forzani said about her late father John.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's lovely to be here and to see what has come out of that first little tiny race. I miss him terribly but it's really really great to see everybody here with big smiles and all the families and kids. I can feel him here. He's here with us for sure," Jodi Forzani said about her late father John.