Terry Fox Runs in B.C. and the Yukon recorded big numbers on Sunday.
"It was a great day," said provincial director Donna White of the Port Coquitlam-based Terry Fox Foundation, which oversaw 112 community runs on Sunday, including four in the Tri-Cities.
While the official numbers are still rolling in for the province and territory, the organizer for the Hometown Run in PoCo counted his event as a success. Some 4,000 people turned up and donated about $62,000 to fight cancer - up from around $50,000 last year.
Dave Teixeira said that amount is "more than $1 per PoCo resident, keeping in line with Terry's goal of $1 per Canadian during his Marathon of Hope."
The Hometown Run also had a Fox family member present: Terry's sister, Judi, who runs the foundation's international division, addressed the crowd.
The Coquitlam event collected $25,000 for the foundation, another boost from the $15,000 in 2013.
In Port Moody, organizer Mike Clay, the city's mayor, also reported a strong showing, with 400 Shoreline Trail runners and volunteers - an increase of 100 people - who gathered more than $7,500 for the cause, on par with last year.
And in Anmore, organizer Gord Bytelaar also said more people came out - 82 versus 75 last year - and raised $1,573 for the foundation, about the same as in 2013.
Other Fox news:
FOX MEDAL
Simon Fraser University, where Terry Fox was a student when he launched his Marathon of Hope, last week named a Coquitlam student-athlete as its 2014 Terry Fox Gold Medal recipient. The award for Jeremy Pearce means three terms of free tuition, a $1,000 cash prize, a gold medal and a plaque.
The award, which will be presented by SFU president Andrew Petter on Sept. 24 during the school's Terry's CAUSE on Campus Walk/Run, is given to a student who has faced adversity and challenges in his or her life.
Hometown Run shirts and hats are still available for purchase at the BC/Yukon head office of the Terry Fox Foundation (2669 Shaughnessy St., Port Coquitlam). T-shirts are $25 and hats are $20. Call 604-464-2666 for details.
