MAPLETON – Drayton is set to host its annual Terry Fox Run, raising funds for the Terry Fox Foundation alongside the rest of the country.
“I started running the event after my dad was diagnosed with cancer,” Drayton Terry Fox Run committee member Melissa Gleeson told the Community News.
Gleeson took over the event in 2017 with a group of friends.
“I could not do it without the support of our entire committee,” she said.
On Sept. 15 locals are encouraged to join Drayton’s Terry Fox Run to help fundraise for cancer research.
“We are doing this because cancer affects so many and we believe there is hope for a cure,” Gleeson said.
The day will consist of games, food, live music, kids activities and the 2K, 5K and 10K runs.
Registration will occur on the run day at 12:30pm with the start time following at 1:30pm.
“You can run, you can walk, you can bike, however you prefer,” noted Gleeson.
All routes will begin at the Drayton Agricultural Hall, otherwise known as the “old arena.”
Each year the routes stay the same, with the 2K and 5K going throughout the township and the 10K will be a “country block,” she added.
The committee hopes to reach a goal of $20,000 raised, to beat last year’s total of $15,911. “They (the foundation) are unique in the way that they actually provide cancer research for many different kinds of cancer,” she said.
The Drayton run began in 1994 with only six people attending the event, noted Gleeson. Despite its humble beginning, the Drayton event has raised more than $550,000 over the last 30 years.
“We’re hoping to see more participants … but since COVID it’s been a little bit more of a struggle,” noted Gleeson, referring to the committee’s other goal: 200 participants.
“We’re always looking for more volunteers and people who would like to join are more than welcome,” said Gleeson.
She expressed her gratitude towards a group of “spectacular” ladies who ran the Terry Fox Run in Drayton for several years prior to the current committee taking over.
“They are the reason the run in Drayton has been such a successful event,” she said.
To donate or learn more about the event visit run.terryfox.ca/55765 or terryfox.org.
“Terry Fox is an inspiration and this run reminds us that anything is possible if you try,” said Gleeson.
