You don’t have to run, walk, skateboard or push a stroller – or do anything remotely athletic to be part of the Cloverdale Terry Fox Run.
In fact, you can just come out and watch. Spectators are welcome.
“Come by and grab a coffee or a hotdog,” says Elaine Gooliaeff, organizing committee chair of the Cloverdale event, set for Sunday morning at the Cloverdale Legion. “It’s two bucks more than they had before, to fight cancer.”
She’s urging everyone to come out to this year’s event, which features the traditional one-, five-, and 10-km run, walk or stroll plus a host of family-friendly activities, including vintage T-shirt and Terry Fox memorabilia sales, and a popular silent auction featuring gift cards and goodies donated by local businesses.
“Everyone is welcome to come,” she says. “It’s a fun, family morning for a great cause.”
Gooliaeff, who is Terry’s cousin, has helped organize the Cloverdale run for the past eight years, and participated in the hometown run long before that, so it’s no surprise that she’s a persuasive fundraiser.
She says it’s not unusual for strangers to donate cash on the spot when they encounter her as she makes the rounds.
A typical encounter was the guy who emptied his wallet and handed over his cash as she was canvassing somebody else entirely.
“Just doing that, you’re part of it,” she beams.
The run is put on with “zero budget”, she says, stressing everything is donated.
“It’s all grassroots and that’s what Terry wanted. Everything we raise goes back to fighting cancer.”
New this year are special prizes for first-time attendees and those who bring a newcomer to the run, now in its 32nd year.
Rock 101’s Kim Seale is back to emcee the event.
This year’s silent auction will have more than 100 items, including a handmade quilt, books and DVDs autographed by Fred and Rolly Fox, and even a pair of Terry’s running shoes.
Support from Cloverdale businesses and the Cloverdale Legion are a huge part of the local event’s efforts to raise money for cancer research, Gooliaeff says.
“The community’s been really good,” she says. Of course, the enduring appeal of Terry Fox and the legacy of his Marathon of Hope goes a long way, too. “It sells itself when we go out and canvass.”
About 140 gift baskets with gift cards and merchandise donated by an astonishing range of Cloverdale merchants have been assembled.
A merchandise tent will feature vintage Terry Fox clothing, with older T-shirts going for $5 and $10.
Gooliaeff says with the start of the school year on hold, families and children are encouraged to take part in the community event.
“With school events unsure this fall, we’re inviting families whose kids usually do the run through school to come out for the community run.”
There will be a Kids Zone play area with face painting, sidewalk chalk, bubble blowing and a clown making balloon animals.
Proceeds support the Terry Fox Foundation, a registered charity that consistently allocates a high percentage of donation dollars to cancer research – approximately 84 cents per dollar.
Special guest speaker is Jean Hamilton, a 92-year-old actor from North Vancouver who is a three-time cancer survivor (See 'She Puts that S*** on Everything').
The event gets underway from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Cloverdale Legion, 17567 57 Avenue. Registration is at 9 a.m. and the run starts at 10 a.m. There’s no minimum pledge and there’s no cost to register.
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