THUNDER BAY — For the first time since 2019, hundreds of Thunder Bay residents will participate en masse in the annual Terry Fox Run this weekend at Boulevard Lake.
The fundraiser for cancer research has been a virtual event for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Because public health guidelines excluded large in-person events, In 2020 and 2021 participants ran, walked, biked or rollerbladed on their own or with family and friends
On Sunday, Sept. 18, the event returns to normal.
Since 1981, the run has taken place each year in honour of Fox, who ended his run across Canada outside Thunder Bay on Sept.1, 1980 after a recurrence of cancer.
Don Morrison chairs the run on behalf of the Lakehead Rotary Club which organizes the event as a community service.
In past years, several hundred people have participated.
Morrison hopes rain that's forecast for this weekend doesn't impact attendance.
"But as I always tell people, Terry ran 42 kilometres a day for 143 days, and I can assure you he ran through rain, snow, ice and everything. So even if it's a little damp on Sunday, people should still come out and do their walk or run," he said in an interview Wednesday.
To date, the Terry Fox Run has raised $800 million worldwide for cancer research.
In Thunder Bay alone, about $600,000 has been raised
This year, a limited supply of newly-designed Terry Fox Run t-shirts will be available for purchase.
The cost is $25 apiece, and only cash or a cheque can be accepted.
"The shirt says 'I'm not a quitter' on the back, which is a phrase Terry used during his run," Morrison pointed out.
The five-kilometre run around Boulevard Lake begins with registration in the St. Ignatius High School parking lot at 1 p.m., followed by an official start at 2 p.m.
But participants can do the walk or run anytime between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
