The Marathon of Hope celebrated its 30th year in 2010 and Weyburn's Terry Fox Run celebrated its own 30-year anniversary.
Weyburn's Terry Fox Run was held at River Park on September 19 and raised $565. The run/walk for cancer research had 19 participants, two of which were former Weyburn teachers Carol Spencer and Tracy Johnston who have walked in Weyburn's fundraising event for 30 years. Johnston travelled from her home in Regina to walk with her long-time friend.
"It started us on a lifetime of fitness," said Johnston.
Johnston said that since that first Terry Fox Run in 1980, she and Spencer have been regular walkers, even taking hiking trips to the mountains together.
It was 30 years ago that Terry Fox dipped his artificial leg into the Atlantic Ocean and set out on one of the most iconic journeys in Canadian history. The Marathon of Hope, as it would be known, captured the hearts of Canadians across the country, and ignited an unwavering hope that, one day, a cure for cancer would be found. Three decades later, although Terry's dream has not yet been fully realized, it is alive and well in Saskatchewan.
"The annual Terry Fox Run is held in more than 70 communities throughout the province," said Robert Barr, provincial director with the Terry Fox Foundation. "It really is amazing that after 30 years, one man's legacy still has the power to unite so many people. It speaks volumes to the true hero that Terry is."
The 2010 Terry Fox Run was held in more than 900 communities nationwide on September 19. In 2009, the Run helped raise more than $1 million for cancer research in Saskatchewan alone.
