Enjoying the unseasonably warm weather and leaves in gold, red, and orange, the community of Ratushniak Elementary School in Maidstone walked for a very good reason Sept. 23.
They walked for someone they had never met, but who many hold as their greatest hero.
Students and staff at the school celebrate the annual Terry Fox School Run Day. They join schools across the country and around the world to run or walk to be reminded of a young man who ran for his life and in the process changed the lives of others suffering with cancer and people of all ages from every segment of society.
The school's event started with an assembly, a story and a video to introduce and remind students of one young person's dreams and a life cut short. The memory and the idea that anyone can make a difference settled in their heads as they gathered as a community and walked and ran.
They left the school gymnasium and started with a lap around the high school's shale track before heading over to Delfrari Victoria Park, where they walked the trails and around the lake.
The distance was much shorter than Fox's 42 km run every day during his Marathon of Hope and as the students began to get warmer and hungrier along the path they reminded each other their path was much easier than Fox's daily commitment.
As the students get older they appreciate the story even more and walk with greater pride for a fellow Canadian.
The students collected toonies for Terry and shared hot dogs and cookies as a special treat for participating in an event they look forward to every year.
