Terry Fox is one of our greatest Canadians. He is one of our greatest British Columbians. This year he is featured in “The Party” display for the “Free Spirit” exhibition at the Royal BC Museum.
Terry Fox is one of my heroes. In 1993, I was awarded the SFU Terry Fox Gold Medal for “courage in adversity” and “dedication to society.”
Terry's brother, Darrell Fox, asked me to become a “Terry Team member“- cancer survivors who serve as living examples that cancer research has helped to make a difference.
Since 1993, I have spoken at Elementary Schools, and Terry Fox community runs throughout Metro Vancouver, as well as in Kelowna (2001, 2002) and Beijing China (1993). It is a tremendous honour to share with both children and adults, how Terry Fox's “Marathon of Hope” has changed the lives of cancer victims, helping to turn them into cancer survivors. I am certain that advances in cancer research helped to save my life from a near fatal cancer tumor in 1989.
Today, I was asked by elementary teacher Bill Hood, to speak at Chief Maquinna Elementary in Vancouver. Bill wrote:
offered a potential visit/talk to our school (Chief Maquinna
Elementary) in conjunction with the upcoming Terry Fox Run.
We are having our Terry Fox assembly on Friday Sept. 12, at around 8:50 AM.
Any chance we could work something out?
We have about 250 kids in the school (Grades K-7) and are located near 1st and Nanaimo in the East End..
Hope you are doing well.”
I was especially thrilled to accept this speaking engagement because I grew up about 6 blocks away from Chief Maquinna Elementary School. It's very close to the old neighborhood I grew up in.
Usually when I go to an elementary school, I will talk about surviving cancer, using my personal experience as an example. I talk about Terry Fox at Simon Fraser University, and include some of the stories that his former SFU friends, teachers, coaches and team mates have shared with me.
Sometimes I talk about running a Terry Fox Run in Beijing in 1993, or meeting Terry's mom, dad, brothers and sister.
Sometimes I bring my SFU Terry Fox Gold Medal or my plaque to show the students. The plaque is engraved with Terry's words “Dreams are made if people try.”
And in my life, I have been personally very interested in attending Terry Fox events, such as the unveiling of the Terry Fox $1 coin, visiting the Terry Fox statues in Victoria or Simon Fraser University. Or even watching Terry Fox television specials or movies on television.
You can donate directly to the Terry Fox Run Donation:
Click here:
https://www.terryfoxrun.org/english/donations/donate/default.asp?s=1
