Keeping the Dream Alive

I have many loved ones who have been affected by cancer. Once in a while, it’s important to stop talking about the issues of the day and take a moment to remember the people who have helped shape who we are as Canadians.

Terry Fox is one of those people.

He was only 21 years old when he began his Marathon of Hope, with an extraordinary dream: to run across Canada and raise money for cancer research. What began with one young man, one artificial leg and an almost unimaginable determination became something much bigger. 

Today, more than three million people each year take part in Terry Fox Runs in more than 30 countries around the world; an extraordinary legacy that began with one young Canadian and one seemingly impossible dream.  Further to this, The Terry Fox legacy has now raised more than $1 billion for cancer research since Terry began his Marathon of Hope in 1980. 

Terry reminded us what courage looks like.  And, one of his biggest life lessons is that one person CAN make a difference. That you don’t need to have all the answers, enormous resources or a position of influence to create change. Sometimes you simply need to care deeply enough to begin, and perhaps even more than that,  to keep going when the road gets hard.

Terry’s legacy belongs to all of us. It lives in our willingness to help one another, to contribute to something larger than ourselves, and to believe that our individual efforts matter.

This Sunday, September 20, runners, walkers, cyclists and supporters from Powell River will once again join communities across Canada for the annual Terry Fox Run.  I will be at the Complex Lower Level just before 10:00 am,  and I hope to see you there as well.

On Sunday, we will remember Terry, and we will honour his courage.

And together, we keep the dream alive.