Paige Seburn
Niagara Now/The Lake Report
Joan King has been keeping Terry Fox’s memory alive this summer in the lead-up to what will be the 44th anniversary of the Terry Fox Run this fall.
She was at the NOTL Community Centre on Sunday, Aug. 4, selling this year’s edition of Terry Fox T-shirts to support the Terry Fox Foundation.
Through the T-shirts, she said she motivates the community with Terry Fox’s spirit.
“These shirts have a great message: No matter what. And that’s what Terry Fox said. No matter what. No matter any condition, he kept going and kept running,” she said.
She previously sold T-shirts at Phil’s Independent Grocer on July 12, marking the anniversary of Fox’s visit to NOTL during his Marathon of Hope 44 years ago. And she was at Hendriks Independent Grocer on July 28, on what would have been Fox’s 66th birthday.
Her sales help fund cancer research and honour the late Candian hero’s legacy, building momentum for the annual run on Sept. 15, she said.
The back of the T-shirt displays what King says is an important message: “No matter the distance, no matter the obstacles, no matter the journey, no matter the odds, no matter what.”
The Terry Fox Foundation’s online timeline notes that Fox, driven by his cancer battle and the need for research funding, began his Marathon of Hope in 1980 with the aim of running across Canada to raise money for cancer research.
After 143 days, he had to end his run on Sept. 1 because of the return of his illness, which led to his untimely death at the age of 22 less than a year later.
Niagara-on-the-Lake holds a special place in Terry Fox’s story, King said. On July 12, 1980, he made a memorable stop in the town, taking a break from his run to visit.
He was welcomed at the Prince of Wales Hotel, where there was a reception for the community to show its support for his journey, she said.
“We want to remember him and all those special times in his life,” she said. “And in our life, in Niagara-on-the-Lake, as well.”
The town planted a tree and added a plaque to a bench in Simcoe Park to honour him, she said, and her ongoing T-shirt sales help preserve his spirit in the community.
King hopes the T-shirts will encourage more people to join the Marathon of Hope and come out to Simcoe Park on Sept. 15.
She will also be selling shirts at the Peach Festival this weekend, on Aug. 10, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
T-shirts are $25 each, while long-sleeved versions are $35.
It’s great to get your shirts early, she said — wearing them before the run helps spread the word and cultivate enthusiasm.
