Nearly five years ago, the global COVID-19 pandemic shook the world to its core. As a result of this unprecedented tragedy, lives were lost, businesses were shuttered, and important events, including the annual Terry Fox Run, were either cancelled or moved to a virtual setting.
Sue Stevenson, a co-organizer of the 2024 Kamloops Terry Fox Run, has been involved with the event since 1984. She was motivated by her mother’s battle with cancer.
“Personally, I have been part of the Terry Fox Run since the very first 44 years ago,” Stevenson said. “My mom had cancer and passed away from it, and she encouraged us as a family to do it. So our family has always been there … as a parent, I taught kids about Terry Fox and got them involved.”
When the pandemic was declared in 2020, events such as the Terry Fox Run and Boogie on the Bridge transformed from being in-person to a virtual setting, a change that Stevenson suggested led to a drop in participation and donations.
“We’ve always had a big community run, and because nobody could do it in person, we had fewer people signing up and donating online,” Stevenson said.
When the event was eventually permitted to be held in person again, a lack of organizers and participants prevented it from happening until this year.
As an organizer, Stevenson doesn’t participate in the run itself much anymore.
“I [often] do the five kilometres … I’m not a runner, but I always do it as an organizer. This time, I might not do it at the same time, but I’ll walk the route in the morning,” Stevenson said.
Emphasizing the vital role of community and the uplifting energy that comes from gathering together to support cancer research, Stevenson wants to encourage people to join, highlighting the $850 million raised through the run, impacting the advancement of cancer research, treatment, and survival.
“That to me, that’s why it’s so important to bring it back,” Stevenson said. “The part of what happened with Terry Fox is he brought Canada together, and so as a community, when we come together, and people are at the park, and even though it’s about cancer, it’s so uplifting. And just to be together and realize that if we work together, maybe we can beat cancer. It’s really, really important and a good feeling.”
The Terry Fox Run will be in Riverside Park on Sept. 15, starting at 9:30 A.M. More information on the event may be found here.