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Terry Fox Run returns to Island Lake Conservation Area next month

August 28, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Sam Odrowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

An annual fundraiser that continues the legacy of an enduring Canadian icon, Terry Fox, is returning to Orangeville next month.

The event is being held at the Island Lake Conservation Area on Sept. 14, with registration starting at 8:30 a.m. and the race running from 9 a.m. to noon.

Participants of the Terry Fox Run can walk, jog, bicycle, rollerblade, or use a wheelchair.

The event provides a day of shared community involvement to raise funds to stop one of the major causes of devastating illness and death – cancer.

“Walk, run, bicycle together. This is not an athletic competition. The run goes forward regardless of the weather, so come prepared. We regularly have family groups with young babies in strollers, to kids on bikes, to folks using walkers, to seniors running,” said Mark Whitcombe, who organizes the event annually.

He noted the importance of the local Terry Fox Run in the fight for a cure against cancer.

“There are very few families who have not been directly or indirectly affected by one or another form of cancer. Each of those types of cancer can be quite different, and therefore it is challenging to develop separate cures for each one,” said Whitcombe. “A main focus of cancer research is to dig into the underlying causes and effects of the various cancers so as to be able to produce more general tools and approaches that disrupt the diseases during the initial stages when it may be more susceptible.”

Whitcombe is hoping for a solid turnout to not only raise funds for cancer research but also bring the community together for a family-friendly event.

“We’ve been averaging over 100 folks for the last while, but we’ve had as many as 200 and more over the 45 years we’ve been organizing this Terry Fox Run in Orangeville,” he said. “Last year we raised almost $30,000 for cancer research. We’re always hoping for more.”

Every dollar raised at the local event will be donated to the Terry Fox Foundation. The foundation provides its donations to the Terry Fox Research Institute, which supports leading cancer scientists and innovative projects across Canada, with the goal of saving lives.

“Over the 44 years [since the Terry Fox Run was created], Canadians have given more than $900 million to bring hope and healing to generations of cancer patients,” said Whitcombe. “Here in Orangeville, our contribution is almost $546,000!”

Any expenses incurred through organizing the Terry Fox Run in Orangeville are funded by local businesses, organizations, and government institutions, so all the money donated locally can go to the foundation.

Anyone interested in attending can register online at run.terryfox.ca/92780 and come to Island Lake on the Sept. 14 to join the community for a fundraiser in support of cancer research.

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