Terry Fox Run/Walk

More than 100 types. Number two killer in developed countries. About nine Canadians die from it per hour. Almost half of us Canadians will develop it. A predicted quarter of us will die from it. However, about 60 percent of the people who get it are completely cured, and it is thirty percent preventable. What? Cancer. Where? Everywhere. How do we cure it? Support events like the Terry Fox run, which in turn supports research.



A crowd of people in yellow ribbons line the track. Everyone’s involved. Even the daycare kids are participating. Nearly everybody has a reason to be here. Nearly everyone has someone they're fighting for.

On Wednesday September 28th our entire school united for one noble cause, curing cancer. This was done through a well known event, the Terry Fox Run. Most people have heard the story of Terry Fox, the Canadian cancer survivor amputee running across Canada, fundraising to find a cure.

The Terry Fox run is a tribute to what Terry tried to do, and is posthumously still doing today. The Marathon of Hope is still collecting donations and raising awareness. “Toonies for Terry” has schools across Canada, including ours, helping save lives; showing that only a toonie can make a huge difference if everybody donates one.

Most people have family members or friends who were affected by cancer. Here at the Ridge, Leo’s walking for his grandmother, Jibran is walking for his cousin, Sophie’s walking for her grandparents and Nadia is walking for her best friend Mackenzie who died of leukemia four years ago. Cancer is a ruthless killer but we’re fighting back with the Terry Fox Run and Walk.

Even though some participants were not walking for anyone specific, the Terry Fox run still has special meaning to everyone. Moshin and Jarrod find that the walk/run means helping to raise awareness for cancer and helping patients recovering from cancer. Victoria thinks it’s a good cause, helping cancer patients who can’t help themselves. To Jibran, the walk/run simply means courage. Nadia thinks of the race as a way to fight cancer for the future.

Not everyone is affected but everyone has a reason to care, because it could be them next. We at IRHS stood together last Wednesday against cancer and we added to everyone’s efforts. One step at a time we are curing cancer. One day we will finish the marathon that Terry Fox started nearly thirty six years ago on April twelfth, 1980, and we will never lose anyone to cancer again.

By Zoe Mozola

Photos by Izzy Lu