Kalynn Sawyer Helmer
Villager Staff
RUSSELL – On Sun., Sept. 16, communities around the country and even across the world, will be lacing up their shoes, strapping on their roller blades or stepping onto their pedals and readying themselves for the annual Terry Fox Run.
This year, locally, Winchester-Chesterville and Russell-Embrun will be hosting their own runs in the community. For Russell-Embrun, organizer Cindy Saucier has been at the helm for over 20 years now. With the help of Donna Lafrance over the last decade, the pair have worked to create an event attended by roughly 200 people each year.
Since Saucier started, the annual run has raised $300,788 with roughly $15,000 on average each year. As Terry Fox himself encouraged, every dollar counts, and that sentiment rings true for the Terry Fox Foundation to this day. “There’s no entry fee, no minimum amount that anybody has to raise, so even one dollar is accepted,” explained Saucier. “It’s such a feel-good event. I’m also very passionate about keeping it going in both communities, as a united event, so we have a start in Embrun and Russell.”
This year, the run in Russell-Embrun will be in honour of Nicky Caldwell of Embrun. Caldwell was diagnosed with brain cancer and has been at the forefront of the community over the past year. Saucier said that she felt Caldwell “is a hero in his own right,” and therefore, the perfect choice for this year’s honouree.
With a growing population, Saucier said she is hopeful for more people to join in the run. Participants can walk, run, rollerblade, bike or anything she explained. “Do it for Terry and so many others. We have all been affected by someone with cancer. Help keep his memory alive in our community and come do a good thing. It’s one morning, and to think we can raise that much in one morning is phenomenal,” she said.
The Russell-Embrun run will begin registration at 9 a.m. on Sun., Sept. 16 at the Embrun Train Depot, beside “Euphoria” in Embrun and behind Mother Theresa School on the Fitness Trail in Russell.
