CARSTAIRS-DIDSBURY - Several schools in the area held Terry Fox runs over the past couple of weeks raising awareness and money for cancer research.
In Carstairs, students from Hugh Sutherland School (HSS) and Carstairs Elementary School got together on Sept. 25 at Memorial Park to run different distances around the park and through town for the older students.
The Carstairs run also featured a free pancake breakfast provided by the town.
Melanie Bosomworth, Hugh Sutherland teacher and run organizer, said the Terry Fox Run went very well once again with about 1,200 students from both schools participating.
"The run is important for many reasons, to bring our community schools together, to support each other through the various ways cancer has touched all of us, to remember those we have lost, to honour Terry Fox for the Canadian legend he is, and to be grateful for all that we have," said Bosomworth.
Hugh Sutherland students raised about $1,000 for the run, said Bosomworth.
HSS students Destiny Young and Victoria Plumb were both running for someone as the stickers on their backs showed. Both have close family members who have either passed from cancer or are going through it.
"We're running to show we care and that they're not alone," said Plumb.
"We want to show them love, all the people with cancer," said Young.
In Didsbury, Westglen School and Ross Ford Elementary School ran their Terry Fox runs together on Sept. 25, once again going through downtown and back again.
Cherra-Lynne Olthof, Westglen leadership teacher, said the leadership team set a goal of $600 for this year at the school and passed it.
"They hosted a 'Caps for Cancer,' where kids brought a 'Toonie for Terry' for the chance to break a school rule and wear hats in class," said Olthof. "They also hosted juice sales on the day of the Terry Fox Run. They were extremely excited to reach their goal with a total of $604.55."
Didsbury High School held its Terry Fox Run on Sept. 19 with around 250 students walking or running from the school out to the valley past Highway 582.
School principal Garth Dagg said the event kicked off with students meeting in the gym where leadership students reminded everyone of who Terry Fox was and the importance of raising money.
"We encouraged our students to bring a toonie if they could," said Dagg. "We raised a little over $800 for the Terry Fox Foundation."
Dagg said it's important for students to know school is more than education, it's like a "community within a community."
"One of the things that's nice about the Terry Fox Run is there is a sticker, 'you're running for,'" he said. "To remind students that just about everyone has been affected by cancer whether it's an uncle or aunt or other relative or friend.
"I think we have a lot of people surviving cancer that wouldn't have 20 years ago. So we stress it's a good opportunity to give something and understand the cause."
