Terry Fox Week was kicked off in Orillia on Tuesday morning with a breakfast event honouring local cancer survivors.
Bayside Restaurant in the Barnfield Point Recreation Centre at J.B. Tudhope Memorial Park provided a free meal for members of Terry’s Team, which consists of survivors and people living with cancer. The event precedes Sunday's Terry Fox Run.
Alison Stoneman, the long-time organizer of the Terry Fox Run in Orillia and a cancer survivor, says the breakfast was a good opportunity for Terry's Team members to talk to others who have experienced similar circumstances.
"We call this the Breakfast of Champions," she said. "We are all fighting or have fought cancer. We are still able to be here today, we've gotten this far, and we will keep on fighting."
Susan Turner, organizer of Terry's Team, says the breakfast event helps cancer survivors who often experience isolation
"It helps them with what they are going through or what they have been through," she said. "We all meet and have this day together."
Diane Bell, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in May of 2022, attended the breakfast on Tuesday.
"I noticed a growth in my breast and of course wanted to go get it checked out right away," she explained. "I was told in June that I definitely had breast cancer and it was very aggressive."
Bell, 72, has undergone chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. She was told she had months to live after being diagnosed but is still here today.
"They are still treating me, and it will be something that is ongoing," she said. "If they can give me five years, I'll be very excited."
The Udney resident will be participating in the Terry Fox Run in Orillia for the first time on Sunday.
"The Terry Fox Foundation does a wonderful job ensuring there is money for research," she said. "Anybody who is going through this should be involved in encouraging people to donate and be a part of this."
Bell says she has benefited from the Terry Fox Foundation.
"There is a brand-new machine at the Royal Victoria Hospital that is there because of monies that came forward," she explained. "It's a new biopsy machine that makes a huge difference and takes away a lot of the pain that would come with a normal biopsy."
Randy Hoover, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer 13 years ago, has been involved with the Terry Fox Run for decades. He was also at Tuesday morning's event.
"Some cancers are a death sentence, this one wasn't," he explained. "I had surgery as soon as I could to get it taken out of me."
Hoover, 74, lost his wife to bladder cancer and his mother to multiple myeloma. His daughter has had two successful clinical trials and is currently in dormancy.
"I haven't let it get me down," he said. "It's important to continue research to make gains. These clinical trials are having positive results."
Hoover says the Terry Fox Foundation is a worthy cause in the fight against "such a beast."
"The Terry Fox Foundation gives more money back to research and the cause than any other organization," he said. "All the money raised goes directly into cancer research."
Hoover says he is always inspired by fellow survivors who participate in the Terry Fox Run each year.
"These people have had very serious cancer and they still manage to get in here and do the walk," he said. "That inspires me more than anything."
The Orillia Terry Fox run, which was established in 1980, takes place on Sunday at 1 p.m., in Tudhope Park.
"There is no minimum pledge and it's non-competitive," Stoneman explained. "You can just show up on Sunday, check in, and run, walk, ride your bike, push a stroller, ride in your wheelchair, and cheer everybody on."
This year's fundraising goal is $33,411 (a dollar for every Orillian). So far, the run has raised $11,932.
"The money actually helps people in our own community," Stoneman said. "The efforts people have made for cancer research are making a difference in our lives and the lives of our loved ones."
Despite the event being temporarily moved to Tudhope Park from Couchiching Beach Park this year due to construction on Centennial Drive, Stoneman believes Orillians will meet the fundraising goal.
"I have no doubt," she said.
For more information about the Orillia Terry Fox Run, or to register in advance, click here.
