STORY BY RENEE LALONDE
One man, one leg, and 143 days of running: the legacy of Terry Fox’s journey lives on through the Terry Fox Run and an upcoming folk musical about him.
This year Oakville holds its 33rd run and, for the first time, Sheridan College will have a team taking part in the event. It will be held at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15 at Coronation Park and participants can walk, bike, rollerblade, skateboard, or use a wheelchair.
Last year, the Terry Fox Run in Oakville raised $102,000 and the goal for this year is $125,000.
As of Monday morning, Sheridan’s team was at 30 per cent of its $2,000 goal. You can track Sheridan’s progress or donate here.
Several businesses big and small have contributed to the Oakville event, including Longo’s and Whole Foods, among others.
“By teaming up with the Terry Fox Run to raise funds for cancer research, these folks are continuing a long-standing commitment to improving the lives of everyone touched by cancer,” Pam Damoff, chair of the Oakville Terry Fox Run, said in a news release.
In the spirit of Terry Fox, students from Sheridan’s Music Theatre Performance program will stage Marathon of Hope from Nov. 27-Dec. 8.
The musical, which was written by Sheridan grad John Connolly, chronicles and celebrates Fox’s life and achievements.
Connolly, 30, left Sheridan in 2005 and has had Marathon of Hope in the works since he was a student. He worked closely with musical director Michael Mulrooney, director Jim Betts, producer Michael Rubinoff, and the Fox family to make sure he did the story justice.
“Getting to know the family has been an incredible experience,” said Connolly. “They’re a lot like Terry. It’s been an honour to get to know them, and it took a long time for them to trust me and where I was coming from because they get offers all the time. Right from the beginning people have tried to make money off Terry.”
The idea for a musical came to Connolly right before a Terry Fox Run in September 2004 while he was discussing ideas for shows with a roommate at Sheridan.
“(The run is) a great Canadian tradition,” said Connolly. “It seems that Canadians just have a deep, abiding love and respect for Terry and what he did. And I’ve gotta say, it’s a lot of fun.”
Connolly hopes to engage audiences while sharing Fox’s story.
“It doesn’t need any ornamentation because this story is so powerful. This guy was out there every single day, running 42 kilometres on one leg. He’d be up at 4 a.m. and start running.”
Both the proceeds from the Terry Fox Run as well as Marathon of Hope will go toward funding cancer research.