THUNDER BAY – It’s not exactly the way Don Morrison imagined marking the 40th anniversary of the Terry Fox Run he’s long helped organize in Thunder Bay, but he expressed gratitude Sunday as he prepared to hit the road for a virtual version of the popular event.
“Usually this time in previous years, there’d be a few hundred people here, we’d have a colour guard with pipers, banners, flags, and all kinds of stuff going on,” Morrison said.
While COVID-19 precautions had kept the usual crowds away, Morrison was pleasantly surprised to report local donations to the Terry Fox Foundation had stayed steady compared to previous years, at around $30,000.
That’s despite the lack of school runs, which normally contribute about half of the total.
That generosity in the face of difficult financial times spoke volumes about the community, Morrison said.
“Thunder Bay’s always been that way. Any kind of fundraiser always seems to do very well, regardless of what the local economy is.”
The public run, which Morrison has chaired for decades as a member of the Lakehead Rotary Club, was shelved this year over COVID-19 concerns.
Instead, he was joined by a small handful of friends Sunday afternoon to run the five-kilometre loop around Boulevard Lake. A small number of other walkers and runners in Terry Fox shirts were also making their way around the lake.
Participants in this year’s virtual Terry Fox Run were encouraged to walk, run, or bike wherever they chose.
On the 40th anniversary of Fox’s iconic trek, which came to a halt just outside of Thunder Bay, Morrison expressed confidence that the tradition – and Fox’s memory – was as strong as ever.
“My grandson is six – he’s recognized the logo of Terry Fox since he could talk,” he said. “The schools have done a really good job of keeping that legacy alive. That’s what you want, for the next generation to carry it on. No doubt, 40 years from now, there will be an 80th anniversary run.”
