Organizers of the annual event and supporters of the Marathon of Hope are aiming to see only one of those things change when the run takes place on Sunday, Sept. 20 all over the world.
Due to the COVID-19 restrictions in place due to the ongoing pandemic, the decision was made months ago to turn the 2020 edition of the Run into a fully virtual event.
That follows the theme of ‘One Day, Your Way’ and how this year’s fundraiser will work.
“It comes with some challenges, but at the same time it might provide some extra freedom for people who might want to participate but don’t want to go to a scheduled event,” said Moose Jaw Terry Fox Run organizer Craig Hemingway. “So it’s freedom for people to walk or run wherever they’d like in the City of Moose Jaw or wherever they may be… We have over 40 kilometres of trails in Moose Jaw, we have wonderful parks, you can go for a walk or a run, there’s no end to the options to participate.”
That flexibility is why there’s hope the only difference will be the size of crowds taking part in the run.
“It’s hard to get any indication of how much participation there might be, because typically there’s quite a large walk-up with people saying they’ll just register that day,” Hemingway said. “And oftentimes you’re trying to fundraise, and one of the most effective ways is often the one-to-one connection and contact, which is tougher to do with COVID-19.
“So there are challenges, but it’s nothing compared to the challenges Terry Fox faced, he did some amazing things. It’s nothing we can’t get through and we’ll be excited with what we accomplish on Sunday and it all going to an incredible cause.”
Participants can register through TerryFox.org and make a donation through the web page, and Hemingway is encouraging people who do participate in the run to take a picture of themselves doing so, post it social media with the hashtag #TerryFoxRun.
“We want to share those pictures and let everyone know the kind of support the Run is receiving in Moose Jaw and across Canada,” he said. “So sign-up, go get donations from friends and family and then on the day of, go out with your circle of close friends and family, safely distance of course and choose your route.”
The 40th anniversary Run also features a unique t-shirt – designed right here in Saskatchewan – which can be purchased by leaving a message on the local Run’s Facebook page or by sending an e-mail to terryfoxrunmj@gmail.com to have a shirt delivered safely.
Through it all, the hope is everyone will once again find a way to support the Terry Fox Run and add to the more than $800 million raised in his name.
“It’s tremendous, and it speaks to Terry’s legacy, he’s one of if not the greatest Canadian of all time,” Hemingway said of the 40 years. “You think about what he tried to accomplish, in a time where there was no social media. He wasn’t doing it for any other reason than to raise money to help fight cancer, that was it. That was the goal.
“It’s such a pure goal and something we can all appreciate and that’s why we can all get behind his legacy and how it lives on today.”
