Local cancer survivor Sharon Meier MacDonald will speak at the 35th Terry Fox Run in Cochrane, Sept. 20.
“Once I made my recovery, I wanted others to know that we do come through,” MacDonald said. “The worst suffering is to be alone, and if I can share my story to lessen anyone’s loneliness – it helped me through my cancer to know how [other survivors] could thrive and have happy meaningful lives.”
MacDonald was diagnosed with lymphoma nine years ago right before giving birth to her son. After a year of treatment, MacDonald said she spent another four years ‘unwell.’ It was during this time, she found inspiration through other’s stories and realized she wanted to help by sharing hers.
This will be MacDonald’s first time speaking at the Terry Fox Run, a cause very near to her heart.
“We are brought together by a young man with the courage, who turned that into compassion with others – we know that being together eases suffering and we know that we are not alone,” MacDonald said.
The goal of the Terry Fox Run is to raise $1 per Canadian, and event organizer Lindsay Regier said she wants to raise as much as possible.
“It is to my understanding there was 70 people last year and just over $7,000 was raised,” Regier said.
With the 2015 census showing Cochrane’s population at 23,084, Regier said she wants to strive to raise over $10,000 for the 35th anniversary.
“It was [Fox’s] challenge to every community,” Regier said.
Instead of an entry fee, the Terry Fox Run will ask for entry by donation with no minimum amount. There is also an online personal fundraising page, which can be found on the Terry Fox Run 2015 – Cochrane Facebook page. As well as, ‘old-school’ pledge sheets, Regier said.
The walk will start at Mitford Park with registration open at 10 a.m. and the walk/run to start at 11 a.m. There will be a 5 km walk or a 10 km run, with every kilometre marked along the path. Participants can choose their distance and walk or run, with cyclists and dogs welcome to join. Regier commented on the Facebook page that she took a couple hours to walk the route designated for the run and said it is “one of the more beautiful run routes I’ve been on.”
MacDonald said this would be her second year attending the run.
“I am looking forward to getting together with people who understand the journey,” MacDonald said.
“When I had cancer, it was quite the journey for me and my family at the time; and I realized that we don’t share our painful stories [but when] others shared their stories with me, I felt hopeful and not alone. [But] I am just the spokesperson that day, the real story is about Terry Fox.”
The run started in 1980 after Terry Fox was forced to have his right leg amputated six inches above the knee because of osteogenic sarcoma (bone) cancer. The 18-year old Canadian made it his mission to raise awareness and funds for cancer. After 143 days and over 5,000 km, Fox was forced to stop the run when the cancer appeared in his lungs. Before Fox died in 1981, he said, “Even if I don’t finish, we need others to continue. It’s got to keep going without me.”
To date the Terry Fox Run has raised over $650 million for cancer research, according to a press release.
For more information or to register go to terryfox.ca/terryfoxrun/cochrane-ab.
