Coldwater Public School (CPS) and Moonstone Elementary School (MES) surpassed expectations for the Terry Fox Run this year.
CPS, which has about 500 students, was on a mission to beat the $8,000 raised in 2021, and it did so with ease, raising $11,300. MES, with 85 students, brought in $1,450.
Jodi Gray, a Grade 1 teacher at CPS, helped organize the event with secretary Susan MacMillan.
“We had a lot of initiatives and announcements every day,” Gray explained. “One of the big draws is they got to do something embarrassing to me at an assembly if they raised so much money.”
On Nov. 24, Fred Fox, Terry’s brother, will attend the assembly virtually to thank the students for their efforts.
“During that assembly, the students are going to dress me up however they wish and feed me my least favourite food — bananas,” Gray said with a laugh.
She says it’s important for the two schools to take the Terry Fox Run seriously because of the number of students and staff who have been affected by cancer.
“It’s affected a lot of our families,” she said. “I think the reason we got so much money is that cancer is so prominent everywhere.”
While raising more than $110,000 was an impressive accomplishment for the schools, Gray says the awareness raised is just as important.
“Everybody has been touched or affected by cancer,” she said.
Next year, the two schools will try to top the fundraising goal again.
“We will always try to surpass that goal,” Gray said. “Even if it’s only by a little bit, we will do what we can to make a difference.”
Grade 5 CPS students Toby Bushey and Kaitlyn Perkins are proud of themselves, as well as their fellow students and teachers, for their fundraising efforts.
“I really enjoyed this because my grandpa had cancer,” Bushey said. “It felt really good raising money for this great cause.”
Perkins also appreciated the opportunity to help out and be part of her school community.
“I enjoyed raising money for people who have cancer,” she said. “I had a lot of fun running outside with my friends.”
The two were excited to learn their school surpassed the fundraising goal.
“We were all surprised by how much we beat it,” Bushey said.
“I’m really proud that we raised a lot of money,” Perkins added.
Alison Stoneman, organizer of the Orillia Terry Fox Run, says raising more than $11,000 is “incredible” for any school.
“It shows that the community of Coldwater and area have done a great job supporting the efforts of the kids with their Terry Fox Run,” she said.
Stoneman says it’s important for students to be educated about Terry Fox’s story and for them to participate in the run each year.
“He’s a great example for kids to learn from,” she said. “He showed that one person can make a difference in the lives of others with spirit, determination and drive.”
The Terry Fox Run is an annual event that gives students a sense of empowerment, Stoneman says.
“It gives them the opportunity to raise money for cancer research, knowing that they are helping other people,” she said. “We can all make a difference, and I think that’s also a great lesson for all of us to learn.”
