Sharing a message of hope

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This article was published 24/05/2018 (2893 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It had been over 50 years since Fred Fox had set foot in Wayoata School in Transcona.

“It’s so awesome to be here,” Fox, who is the older brother of Terry Fox, said in the school library after he’d spent some time looking around. “Everything, as far as education and everything else, started here for Terry.”

The Fox brothers attended Wayoata School as kids, before their parents moved the family west in 1966. Fred was in Grade 3, Terry in Grade 2 at the time.

“We are Terry Fox’s school, and we celebrate that,” said Jenna Johnson, principal at Wayoata School. “That’s something we’re pretty proud of.”

In 1980, as a 22-year-old, Terry Fox captured the attention of Canadians from coast to coast to coast with his Marathon of Hope in support of cancer research. Tragically, he could not complete his cross-country run, and died of cancer in 1981.

After his death, Terry’s mom Betty Fox started the Terry Fox Foundation and the annual Terry Fox Run to support cancer research, and to spread Terry’s message of hope. Terry’s siblings, including younger brother Darrell and sister Judith, and now their children, have continued that legacy.

Fox was in town to share Terry’s story, and to thank schools for their involvement in the Terry Fox Run, held annually in September to raise money for cancer research.

“We’re always trying to be better, just as Terry was always trying to improve himself,” Fox said. “We’d like to raise more than we did the year before. Researchers really appreciate us doing that.”

In Canada, over 9,000 schools take part each year. Wayoata School has been taking part in the annual run for over 25 years.

“Richard Behrens’s Grade 4/5s always raise money with a Freezie sale each September,” Johnson said. “All that money we earn is then donated.”

Fox’s presentation to schools centers around the message of hard work and determination, and features a PowerPoint presentation featuring family photos.

“I speak to each of those photos, how they relate to Terry and tell the story behind them,” Fox said.

“The big message is about Terry, how from the time he was a young kid at elementary school, he faced challenges,” Fox added. “Terry never thought of himself as a hero. He certainly wasn’t the best athlete or student. I try to tell the kids that, just like Terry, all they need to do is work hard.”

“It was great, really well received,” Johnson said of Fox’s presentation. “The kids were just in awe. For them, now Fred becomes a hero. It was quite emotional, and for staff members as well.”

Along with Wayoata School, Fox also made stops to speak at Murdoch MacKay Collegiate, Collège Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau, Radisson Elementary, and the Transcona Council for Seniors on May 23.

“We’ll all be touched by cancer at some point in our lives,” Fox said. “When we were kids in elementary school, we didn’t know anything about cancer. Kids are so much more aware and knowledgeable about things like that now.”

This year’s national Terry Fox Run takes place on Sept. 16, with the Terry Fox National School Run taking place Sept. 27. For more information on the Terry Fox Foundation, visit www.terryfox.org