However, before that happened, students were brought to the school gym last Tuesday morning for an assembly on the significance of Terry Fox and how he contributed to the fight against cancer.

The assembly started with a video projected on the gym wall about Terry Fox’s original marathon for hope. It included testimonials from Fox’s family and those who came after him who were inspired by his legacy.

After the video an ambassador from the Quebec Terry Fox Foundation, Marcel Charrois from Montreal, spoke to the PHS students about Terry Fox and what he represents.

“I want to explain Terry Fox and why he’s my hero, and how he has changed my life and how he’s been changing a lot of people’s lives. I want to tell them the story of how determined he was and how hard headed he was,” said Charrois in an interview before his remarks. “Because he was hard headed we’re still doing his race today. And that’s the message I want to give the kids of Shawville.”

To Charrois, Terry Fox is a Canadian icon.

“His mother thought he was crazy. She said that you could just run in British Columbia, that’s good enough. But no, he says no, there was cancer all over Canada,” said Charrois.

He also mentioned the international impact of Terry Fox, with runs in honour taking place from places as diverse as Cuba and Israel.

Ultimately, Charrois explained how cancer research is still of such vital importance.

“There’s been so much progress. In the past, there was a disease called polio and everybody died of polio. And now today if I ask the kids if anyone has ever heard of polio, no one else raises their hand because there was research and was done and was eliminated,” said Charrois.

After the speeches were done by both Charrois and staff at PHS on Tuesday it was explained to them how to donate to the Terry Fox Foundation, most of the school’s students were unleashed on the Terry Run on Friday on the streets of Shawville. Despite it being a brisk and cloudy morning, the over 400 students streamed out of the school. First were the cyclists, then the runners and finally the walkers.

After the run was over, the school held a barbeque lunch.

The walkers in the Terry Fox run, who were seemingly the vast majority of the participants.

A picture of Terry Fox ambassador Marcel Charrois next to local organizer John Petty before going in front of the school to give his remarks. The head of the Quebec branch was supposed to come to Shawville, but Charrois came in his place as his wife was due to have a baby.

The Students who decided to run the Terry Fox race.

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