Despite the name, the coordinators of Victoria’s Terry Fox Run are asking residents to bike, walk or even have their heads shaved to support the Terry Fox Foundation, if running doesn’t suit them.
“There’s a lot of different options for people, even for fundraising,” said Doug Lamb,run coordinator. “There’s no entry fee, and you can make a voluntary donation or collect pledges, even online.”
Preceding the run will be a public film screening at the Mile Zero monument, where Terry’s statue is located, on Sept. 13 at dusk.
The main event will take place at 10:30 a.m. the next morning, following a 10-minute warmup. The five-kilometre route travels along Dallas Road to St. Charles Street, and participants are encouraged to run, walk or bike the route multiple times.
The Terry Fox Great Canadian Hair Do will take place from 10:15 a.m. to noon, giving runners a chance to participate in both events. In addition to raising money, participants can also donate their hair to make wigs for cancer patients, assuming their hair is 25 to 30 centimetres and free of dye.
Now in its eighth year, the Hair Do has managed to raise $80,000 since 2007, with firefighters from Greater Victoria being some of the biggest supporters. Since 2000 the run itself has managed to raise over $330,000 for the Terry Fox Foundation, which gives 84 cents per dollar to cancer research.
Lamb said the run typically pulls in up to 800 participants in Victoria. Coordinators are still looking for volunteers.
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