NEWS RELEASE
ORILLIA TERRY FOX RUN
********************
The all-volunteer Orillia Terry Fox Run organizing committee is thrilled to announce two special guests will be attending Sunday’s annual event in support of the Terry Fox Foundation for cancer research.
“We’re so pleased and honoured to welcome the interim national Executive Director Ara Sahakian and Alexandra Fox to Orillia where her uncle had such an impact on all of us,” said Run Organizer Alison Stoneman.
Alex is one of seven members of the Fox family who have fanned out across the country to bolster the 39th anniversary of Terry Fox’s original Marathon of Hope on ‘Run Day.’
Terry’s younger brother, Darrell, attended a fundraising dinner in 2000 and memorably accompanied the restored Ford camper van that accompanied Terry to Orillia in July 2008 at Couchiching Beach Park.
Older brother Fred Fox attended local events in 2014 and August 2017, including a showing of the movie “Terry” at the Rotary Aquatheatre where his brother addressed hundreds gathered July 27, 1980 for a public reception.
Almost 500 participants and volunteers raised $39,000 during the 2018 event, surpassing its one-dollar-per-Orillia resident goal for the tenth straight year and raising the cumulative total raised to approximately $723 thousand.
The 2019 Orillia Terry Fox Run will be held Sunday, September 15th beginning at Couchiching Beach Park on Terry Fox Circle and using the fabulous waterfront trail.
Registration begins at 11:30 a.m., opening ceremonies and warm-up start at 12:40 p.m. followed by a unified start at 1:00 p.m. Registration is required but free and there’s no minimum pledge.
The Terry Fox Run is non-competitive. You can walk, wheel, run, bike, board and rollerblade along the 1-km, 5-km and 10-km routes and dogs on leashes are welcome. Run day participants and volunteers are reminded to bring refillable bottles to take advantage of donated water located in the park and water stations. A limited supply of refillable water bottles will be available for a donation.
Terry Fox Runs are also held in Gravenhurst, Barrie, Heart of Georgian Bay (Midland area), Sugarbush (Oro-Medonte), Lagoon City-Brechin and Beaverton. Terry Fox school runs will be held in Simcoe County later in the month.
********************
