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Orangeville youth surpasses $10,000 fundraising milestone for Terry Fox

September 24, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Joshua Drakes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

An 11-year-old Orangeville resident has reached a major fundraising milestone in her ongoing efforts to support cancer research through the Terry Fox Foundation.

Sydney Mallett has participated in the Terry Fox Run for the past seven years, turning the annual event into a personal tradition of fundraising, remembrance and determination.

For the past five years, she has completed the run alongside her dog, Big Ben. Her involvement with the cause was initially inspired by the loss of two of her dogs to cancer several years ago.

“I think it’s important for me to keep doing this run and I hope I can inspire other children to raise money too,” she said. “I think it is important to make a difference for the better. Cancer needs a cure and we have to keep fundraising for that. Terry Fox ran across the country, the least I can do is 20 laps around a baseball diamond to raise as much money as I can for a cure.”

Mallett has since become one of the country’s top youth fundraisers for the Terry Fox Foundation for the past three years. After the foundation contacted her to recognize her fundraising efforts, she learned that advancements in cancer research can have benefits across species, further motivating her to continue in memory of her dogs.

This year, Mallett set a fundraising goal of $2,290, an amount that would bring the total raised during her five years running with Big Ben to $10,000.

She surpassed that target, raising $2,854 and bringing her five-year total to $10,564.

Mallett was also recognized for her fundraising efforts during this year’s Orangeville Terry Fox Run at Island Lake. While Mallett and Big Ben complete their run privately because he is uncomfortable in large crowds, family friends attending the community event shared news of the recognition with them.

The run also carries a deeply personal tradition for Mallett.

Each year, she writes the names of loved ones who have died from cancer on paper hearts and carries them with her as she runs. Partway through her laps, she stops and reads each name in remembrance.

Mallett’s mother, Emily Mallett, said that her family is deeply proud of her commitment.

“We are deeply proud of Sydney’s commitment to raising money for cancer research, through the Terry Fox run every year,” she said.

“It is a beautiful thing to watch your child find a cause they believe in and then to work so hard to support that cause. Both of Sydney’s dogs died of cancer when she was younger, and this ignited a spark within her. We never asked Sydney to do this. This is all her!

“Every year, she makes a video in which she speaks from the heart and in her own words, and I share it any way I can for donations,” Mallett added.

“We are fortunate to have generous family and friends, far too many of whom have been affected by cancer in some way. Last year, I lost two childhood friends to cancer. That really affected Sydney.”

For Sydney Mallett, reaching the $10,000 milestone is another step in a tradition she hopes to continue for years to come.

With Big Ben at her side and the names of loved ones carried with her on paper hearts, she remains determined to keep running, fundraising and doing her part to support the search for a cure.

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