REGINA – “The dream of curing cancer seems so formidable and unbelievable, but it was Terry Fox’s dream and we get closer and closer and closer every year,” said Terry Fox Run organizer Bill Schwartz.
For 35 years the people of Regina have been remembering Terry Fox by continuing his Marathon of Hope. Schwartz feels the extraordinary nature of Fox’s attempt to run across Canada for cancer research is why it has been continued for so long.
“At the Queen City marathon people would say I can’t believe Terry Fox ran a marathon a day. Every day he ran a 42 k. It’s the tenacity and resiliency.”
Schwartz is no stranger to cancer. He served as a hospital Chaplin for five years and held vigil with many families while they battled cancer. It has also entered his personal life several times.
“I was 21 when I watched my father die. Three years later I did my mother-in-law’s funeral. Three years ago I did my sister-in-law’s funeral and she’s a year younger than I am. I was diagnosed with cancer when I was 30.”
Schwartz has now been cancer free for about 16 years.
“I’ve seen the pain that cancer causes. Not just for those individuals with cancer, but also how it affects their families.”
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One family that comes together every year for the run are the Richmond’s who run as Dani’s Team.
“She was diagnosed in the fall, and within six months she was gone,” said Dani’s cousin Erin Richmond. “She had a four year old kid and a husband. We like to get together because toward the end of her life she made a pretty good commitment to fitness.”
The family raised $5,000 in the first run they did and have been fundraising ever since. While they help The Terry Fox Foundation they are also helping themselves.
“I think it’s helped with healing, and just taking a day to really think about her and what she did for our family. It’s a fantastic way to remember her and honour her,” said Erin.
This year’s run has raised $23,000 so far. The final tally is still being calculated, and once it is organizers anticipate that the event will pass the $1 million mark for total funds raised in the event’s history.
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