Warm weather draws more participants to local Terry Fox runs

Sunday marked Clayton Eaton’s first solo Terry Fox Run in Paris.

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A custom-made cart he used to push daughter Emily through the fundraising course for more than 30 years was empty but for a white rose tied to the handle with a pink ribbon.

Emily, who had cerebral palsy and was unable to walk, made the Terry Fox event an annual tradition with her dad. She died of cancer in April at age 40.

“I was thinking we’d get another 50 years of it,” said Eaton of the cart, which he pushed 10 kilometers on Sunday in honor of his daughter. “That didn’t happen.”

It was a poignant gesture at an event where almost everyone had a story – about the loss of a loved one or acquaintance to cancer.

The entrance to the Steve Brown Sports Complex, where Brantford’s event was held, was lined on Sunday with handwritten tributes to grandparents, parents, children and friends lost to the disease.

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David Sargent has been a participant in the Brantford run for 24 years, when he was first diagnosed with prostate cancer. The 71-year-old had been in remission for 14 years before learning in May he had cancer in his lower abdomen. He is scheduled for surgery in October but was determined to tackle the course on Sunday.

“I dedicate my run to family and friends,” he said.

Heidi Wright and her family started walking in the Paris event in 1998 when she was diagnosed with cancer. On Sunday, she was part of a large contingent of supporters called “Team Gary,” in honor of her husband who died of brain cancer in July at age 57.

“He was very similar to Terry Fox,” she said. “He pushed through the tough times. He was my warrior.”

Brantford and Paris were among 650 communities across Canada to host a Terry Fox Run on Sunday. This year marks the 44th anniversary of Fox’s Marathon of Hope.

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Fox was just 21, having had his right leg amputated six inches above the knee due to bone cancer, when he began his marathon in St. John’s, Nfld. on April 12, 1980.

He planned an east to west cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Fox’s goal was to raise $22 million, a dollar from every person then living in Canada. He ran close to 42 kilometers a day for 143 days before lung cancer forced him to stop. He died on June 28, 1981 at age 22.

The annual Fox run has grown to involve millions of participants in more than 60 countries and is now the world’s largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research. More than $900 million has been raised in his name.

Mike Bitton, who organized Sunday’s run in Brantford along with Pauline Cecile, said Fox was a “huge inspiration” to him after he suffered serious injuries in a bike accident in 2010.

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“He’s such a Canadian hero,” said Bitton.

Sisters-in-law Melanie Chmelik and Kiley Cruickshank have been organizing the Paris run for 11 years. The event is a family tradition that started with Cruickshank’s father, growing to include his children and grandchildren.

“I call it the small but mighty run,” said Chmelik.

Sunday’s warm, sunny weather set the scene for a record-breaking year in Paris with more than 150 participants who, by Sunday afternoon, had raised close to $15,000.

The Brantford run also surpassed its fundraising goal, with the total approaching $12,500.

“It’s a great cause,” said Chmelik. “We want to keep Terry’s legacy alive. We want kids to continue to be reminded of his dedication, courage and perseverance.”

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