Terry Fox legacy continues to thrive thanks to Vassar

Judy Preteau still clearly remembers Terry Fox as he ran to raise money for cancer.

From the time he dipped his artificial leg into the Atlantic Ocean on April 12, 1980, until his run stopped on Sept. 1 of the same year after cancer returned to his lungs, she recalls watching updates on the news.

“You kind of kept track of him everyday, to see how far he was getting,” she said. “Everybody couldn’t believe he could do such a thing.”

Terry Fox ran close to 42 kms (26 miles) a day through Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario. He ran through snow, rain, wind, heat, humidity and stopped in more than 400 towns, schools and cities to talk about why he was running.

He dreamed of raising $1 per Canadian, at that time a goal of $22 million.

The legacy of his Marathon of Hope continues today with over $850 million raised for cancer research in his name.

Preteau also remembered his death on June 28, 1981, and said it resonated in Vassar as it did across Canada.

“Everybody was so upset,” she recalled. “He was just a young man.”

That prompted the mother of four into action and even before there was an official Terry Fox Run, she led a small group on a walk in honour of Terry and what he hoped to accomplish.

The following year she called the Terry Fox Foundation and began her long history of hosting official Terry Fox Runs in Vassar.

Now 79, Preteau organized her 44th Terry Fox Run on Sept. 15, and said while numbers have fallen off since schools began doing their own runs, she is proud they’ve managed to continue.

In fact, when most runs went to a virtual format during COVID, Vassar still managed to put feet to pavement.

“They would still come and walk,” she said of participants. “We couldn’t gather but we could walk.”

Preteau is matter of fact when she explains why she took the reins in Vassar and has never let them go.

“It was something that had to be done,” she said. “He always said, ‘You’ve got to follow my steps.’”

Like many, Preteau said she too has lost loved ones to cancer.

And while Preteau doesn’t make the long trek to Highway 12 as she did in past years, she still makes sure she gets out to walk with other participants.

She said since they’ve started the run in Vassar they’ve consistently raised between $2,000 and $3,000 annually, though she adds during COVID she only managed to raise $1,500.

“Like he would say, ‘Every dollar counts,’” she said.

While she may be the driving force of the only Terry Fox Run currently taking in place in southeast Manitoba, she is quick to credit those who continue to participate.

“I’m always proud of my runners because they’re my faithful ones,” she said. “They go out and get as many pledges as they can and they’re always here for me and always here for Terry.”

Two of those long-time runners are her nieces Gina Davis and Karen Theriault.

Just kids at the time Terry Fox was making his famous trek, they both recalled hearing about his progress at school.

Davis recalls taking part in the first run and said she may have missed two at the most over the years.

“It’s close to our heart and it’s a fantastic cause,” she said. “He had such determination and we’re just carrying on.”

As to what’s special about Vassar that they’ve managed to maintain their run while so many have not, both Davis and Theriault answered quickly. “Judy,” they said.

This year 44 community Terry Fox Runs were held in Manitoba with only one in the Southeast.

Carissa Robb, director of community development for Saskatchewan and Manitoba for the Terry Fox Foundation said it’s heartwarming to see examples like that set by Preteau.

“The fact that someone like Judy wants to be a part of this for 44 years because it means something to her… we’re kind of like a big family here and she’s a part of that family,” she said.

Robb said COVID did impact their runs, but added they are building right now, helping set up new runs or bring back historical runs.

She said the City of Steinbach had a run which ended in 2017 and is one she’d love to see come back.

The process to do that is simple.

Simply going to terryfox.org is the first step in a process of learning how to help organize a run in your community.

“We have lots of materials to help them get started,” she said, adding those include checklists, information sheets, and workshops.

“They’re never just thrown in blind,” she said of new volunteers. “We’re going with them every step of the way, to give them information on the basics on how to start the run, but also on how to grow your run, how to have variety, how to do something different, sharing ideas from some of the other runs.”

Those who want to help out can also do so on their own terms.

“We’re looking for volunteers in any community no matter the size, no matter the time commitment, every run is based on the volunteer help that we have,” she said. “It would be great to get more runs in that area.”

Robb said she’s impressed with all the runs from the large to the very small like the dozen or so participants in Vassar.

“How special it is that so many people come together to raise money for cancer research and support the initiative and the person that Terry Fox was,” she said. “This young man had such a powerful impact on so many people for so many years.”