Almost four decades later, Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope is certainly still being kept alive here at McMaster University. This month, the McMaster Students Union organized two separate events to raise awareness and support cancer research: the Terry Fox Run as well as a Terry Fox BBQ lunch at The Pheonix.
Sept. 18 marked the 36th annual Terry Fox run at McMaster. The event day comprised of a 5-kilometre course and a 10-kilometre course for participants of all ages to walk, run or wheel in the spirit of Terry Fox. As in previous years, the runs stretched across campus, beginning at Burke Science Building (BSB) fields, going through the student residences and around the university property before finally looping back to BSB.
As a means of better engaging students and community members, MSU Terry Fox diversified the range of activities present during the run day by following more of a festival theme. “This year is kind of cool, we are bringing in an inflatable, setting up stations, and we are doing a scenic photo booth—all for donation. We are also having an alternate activity [capture the flag] on JHE field. That is something we started last year which we actually found a lot of success in,” said Samantha Jones, the MSU Terry Fox Coordinator.
Distinct from many other student services, MSU Terry Fox strives to appeal to more than just the needs of the student body. The team operates both with the MSU and with the Terry Fox Foundation to help spread outreach in the outside community. “It is a great way for McMaster to interact with the community on a different level, it’s a lot of blending in. I really like that aspect to Terry Fox since it is very different from any other campaign on campus,” Jones expressed.
To raise money for cancer research, participants are asked to pledge money or make donations prior to the run. With no minimum donation in order to run, over 90 participants were registered on Sunday.
MSU Terry Fox also hosted a BBQ lunch at The Pheonix on Sept 24. Spanning from 12-4pm, the $15 dollar Terry Fox Special aimed to fill empty stomachs with a delicious meal while serving a worthwhile cause.
Over the course of its history, MSU Terry Fox has raised over $486,000 in proceeds for the Terry Fox Foundation. And with largely successful events this year as well, the MSU’s Terry Fox run alone has added to the total by $3,683.35. “I think it's a testament to our community. It is great for McMaster to give back, not only to the Hamilton community, but also on a global scale to the Terry Fox Foundation,” said Jones.
And as this year’s Terry Fox campaign comes to its finale, we can only look forward for next year as we inch closer to a cure.
