The 39th annual Terry Fox Run in Prince George continued to honour the legacy of one of Canada’s biggest icons yesterday (Sun).
Ryley Newman took over for Scott McWalter as the lead organizer of the run this year.
He told MyPGNow.com, the event ran without a hitch.
“The standard thing going through the crowd was if Terry could it, we could do it so it was pretty awesome to see everyone out there. In terms of money raised, we are at just over $7500 right now.”
He adds it’s still amazing to talk about Fox’s ties to the Northern Capital as he participated in the Labour Day Classic before embarking on his Marathon of Hope.
“How Prince George is tied to Terry’s legacy is an awesome opportunity and I know for next year I have some ideas to not only improve the sight but also get it ready for the 40th year, which is going to be the big one.”
On your mark… #TerryFox #terryfox2019 pic.twitter.com/bpRjMftL7y
— Reporter Cole (@ReporterCole) September 15, 2019
Newman believes the cooler conditions were a factor in how much was raised.
“It’s kind of an average year as it’s really weather-dependent in Prince George. A 26-degree sunny day we could hit the ten thousand mark and then you have conditions like yesterday where it’s not as summery out and we see lesser numbers.”
Newman adds the run means a lot to him personally as he participated in this event during his childhood.
“It was a pretty big part of my childhood as I did the run pretty much every year when I was a young guy from elementary school and into high school and now living in Prince George it’s been a big part of my September’s and when you talk about Canadian heroes, Terry Fox stands out.”
A number of community groups came out, including the Prince George Spruce Kings and the UNBC Timberwolves.