HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1999-07-07, Page 6Exeter Times—Advocate
Wednesday, July 7, 1999
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� TIMES -ADVOCATE:
PUBLICATIONS MAIL REGISTRATION NUMBER 07511
Jim Beckett
Publisher and Editor
Don Srnith
General Manager Production Manager
Deb Lord
Published by J.W. Ledy Publications Limited
424 Main Street South, P.O. Box 850
Exeter, Ontario NOM 156 • (519) 235-1331
EDITORIAL
Terry Fox chosen as Canada's
hero of the century
umour has it Canada's hero of the
century is Terry Fox. What a wonder-
ful choice!
In so many ways, Terry Fox epitomizes the
Canadian ideal of bravery, of struggling against
seemingly insurmountable odds, and of maintain-
ing a modest and thoughtful manner even while he
became the subject of countless interviews and
media stories.
Every school child is familiar with the picture of
the curly-haired, slightly built young man with the
shy smile, dipping his artificial leg in the Atlantic
and setting off on his journey across this huge
countryot ours:
Right from the beginning, he seemed larger than
life. Perhaps it was because of the contrast
between his almost fragile physical appearance,
and his magnificent, enormous dream. Perhaps it
was because he kept his eyes on that dream and
refused to be distracted by pain, illness, fear, and
most dangerous of all, fame.
Anyone who met him was aware of being in the
presence of someone, and something wonderful.
Anyone who looks back on his great achievement is
aware of the same thing.
In the oo.urse of his run, Terry Fox never set out
to be a hero. He was an ordinary teenager, inter-
ested in sports and part of a strong and loving fam-
ily. Then he was diagnosed with the disease that
cost him his right leg, and would ultimately claim
his life.
Even while undergoing cancer treatment which
included the amputation of his leg, his dreams
were not of illness, but of running - not just run-
ning, but running across Canada, and raising one
dollar for every Canadian, a. total of $24 million, to
save others from the agony of the dreaded disease
for which there was no cure.
As he told the Cancer Society in his request for
them to support his run, "I believe in miracles."
Thanks to Terry, so do we.
Terry was unable to complete his run, but he
made it across six provinces. A recurrence of can-
cer, this time in his lungs, forced Terry to stop just
outside Thunder Bay in September, 1980..
He lived long enough see the first part of his mir-
acle realized, when the amount raised through his
run surpassed his goal of $24 million for cancer
research. The second part of the ,miracle has not
been achieved, yet. But no. one doubts for a
moment that it will happen.
Terry's death in June, 1981, did not put an end
to his dream of finding a cure for cancer. His
tremendous spirit and courage inspired others to
make his dream their own. Instead of fading with
the years, it is getting stronger.
Today, Terry's dream lives on in the annual
Terry Fox Run, held across Canada and in 60 coun-
tries around the world. The run has become the
largest single -day fund raising event for cancer
research in the world, with over one million partic-
ipants.
Each year, the millions of dollars raised for can-
cer research bring us new discoveries, and more
effective treatments. Through the efforts of one
young hero, an impossible dream became a hope,.
and a hope became a possibility. Cancer is no
longer a complete and deadly mystery, but a puzzle
with most of the pieces in place.
We could not have selected a more fitting person,
a more deserving individual, a more inspiring
young man, as Canada's hero of the century.
This year's Terry Fox Run takes place on Sept.
19, in communities throughout this area and
around the world. Plan to participate, to help make
the dream of Canada's hero of the century a reali-
ty.
Editorial&Opinion
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