LETTER: WC Terry Fox Run looks to reach $60,000 raised in 2018

To the Editor,

Linda Cassidy and Bob Dupuis have organized the West Carleton Terry Fox Run since its inception seven years ago and plan to do so again this year.  Their unfailing hard work and dedication to this worthy cause, takes many weeks of work every year. Linda has participated in the Terry Fox Run since 1982.  She and Bob fully believe in this cause. Eighty-four per cent of all funds raised go directly to the Terry Fox Foundation for cancer research and every year approximately $1 million dollars is given to the Ottawa Cancer Research.

Bob and Linda set up, manned and took down a tent where they sold Terry Fox T-Shirts, as well as puzzles and books biweekly at the CBBCA Constance Bay Community Market in order to raise extra dollars for the run.  This year the market is only opened monthly and they will be there to sell Terry Fox T-Shirts and promote the upcoming run.

The work they do in preparation, during and follow-up is enormous.  They begin by unpacking a large area of stored items, examining all the signs for this run and updating each one with the new date. Volunteers are needed to put these signs up throughout West Carleton.  Of course, all signs, approximately 60 in total, have to be picked up the day after the event for safe keeping for the following year.   

They rely heavily on wonderful businesses who have supported them in the past: Constance Bay General Store, Dunrobin Auto Sales & Service who have sponsored the BBQ every year, Dunrobin Village Meat & Grocery, Happy Times Take Out, Lighthouse Restaurant, Copperdale Golf Club, Pizza Works in Carp & Sammy’s Restaurant Dunrobin.  Kathryn Scott has provided a large celebration cake for all participants to enjoy, Barclay Dupuis does all of the sign printing and Marilyn Deslaurier provided paper signs which were attached to pizza boxes being delivered. Nancy Atchison has provided all the oranges and condiments, Glen Maheral has provided all the water and juice, Doug Lazier and Dr. Yolande Dmytrowski contribute as well.  There are so many wonderful volunteers, too numerous to mention here. However, there is a very large list of all donors and volunteers clearly visible at the Community Centre on day of event.

Volunteers are required to put out Terry Fox Run signs throughout West Carleton in advance of the run as well as collect them the day afterwards.  In addition, signs have to be placed along the various routes a participant can take either on the road or through the forest.  Volunteers are also required to help set up the day before the walk, during the walk and packing and cleaning up afterwards. 

On the day of the event, participants will find many volunteers to help them both at the community centre and along the routes.  They will have available to them:

• a large wall map which shows the various lengths and routes they may take. Most people take a picture of this map, but there are also small hard copies available for anyone to take with them, ensuring they keep on the right trail/course
• Volunteers to greet, help with registration, provide a warm up, take photos, firefighters who continually check the routes through the forest, people selling tickets for the BBQ
• bottled water and freshly cut oranges kept on ice. The celebration cake is available for all participants, photos will be taken as well if they wish
• a table of albums filled with photos of the last 7 years, puzzles and books for sale as well as Terry Fox T-shirts. All funds raised go to the TFF
• Of course, there is always a doggie bowl of water available for the four-legged walkers
• There will be two manned water stations along the routes

please, if you don’t want to collect pledges, you can simply donate whatever amount you choose to your pledge sheet and walk, run, roll or bike with family members, friends and/or pets and meet new friends.

let’s get together West Carleton on Sept. 16 to support a great cause.

Penny Singleton