A local eight-year-old girl, inspired by her grandfather’s battle with cancer, has raised $1,400 for the Terry Fox Foundation.
While her grandfather, Jeff Bergman, was fighting cancer last month, Bri Bergman was driven to make a difference for cancer research.
“He had cancer,” she explained. “He was my favourite person.”
The Grade 3 Severn Shores Public School student spent nearly a month asking friends and family to help her raise money for the Terry Fox Run at her school.
“I understand the pressure of all the people who have family members dealing with cancer,” she said. “So, I jumped right in with it.”
Bergman hopes she can one day raise enough money with millions of others committed to the cause to finally find a cure for the disease. She doesn’t want other families to face the same kind of hurt she and her family felt when her papa died two weeks ago.
The Terry Fox Run is an event Bergman looks forward to every year.
“There is lots of music,” she said. “I enjoy getting lots of exercise.”
She has learned a lot about Terry Fox while taking part in the run.
“He’s a guy who ran for cancer even though he was in a lot of pain,” she said. “It’s very inspiring.”
When Bergman brought the $1,400 into her school, she says her classmates and teachers were impressed.
“They kept on hugging me,” she said. “I got a basketball for a prize.”
While Bergman is modest and wasn’t looking for recognition for her fundraising efforts, she says it’s nice to be supported. With a lot of help, next year Bergman wants to top her fundraising total and she is setting the bar high.
“My goal will be to raise $10,000,” she said. “That’s what we will try for.”
Bergman’s mother, Cassandra Madigan, is “very proud” of her daughter.
“She set a very good goal for herself of $500, which was pretty manageable,” Madigan said. “When she kept going after that, I was pretty shocked.”
Bergman encourages everyone to get involved in the fight against cancer. Even if they raise a small amount of money, she says, every bit helps.
