Prince Albert Terry Fox run posts bigger numbers

It’s a far cry from the impressive numbers Prince Albert posted in the first years of the Terry Fox Run, when more than 400 people participated.

Hodgins was one of those 400. He has run every year since then, and has witnessed the decline of attendance first hand.

The number of runners at community Terry Fox Runs saw a large decrease when the Terry Fox Foundation started National School Run Day.

For that initiative students run in their own event on Sept. 30.

While the proceeds still go to the Terry Fox Foundation, it does take a significantly large number of runners from community runs.

Before the split Hodgins remembers running relay races with students at the track as the community came together.

“Now the school runs raise about 75 per cent of all the money raised in Saskatchewan,” he explained. “That comes out of the community run.”

Nonetheless, Hodgins was extremely pleased with the turnout.

Though he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what caused the increased interest, the revitalized Golden Shoe Relay Race was the likely culprit.

Held for the first time in 11 years, the relay pitted the Prince Albert police against the firefighters in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

Next year organizers are hoping to also get local penitentiary guards, paramedics, conservation officers and the RCMP involved in the relay, just like old times.

Earlier in the day the Prince Albert Triathlon Club did their part to raise funds with a 19.3 km triathlon starting at the Frank J. Dunn pool early Sunday morning.

While also raising money for the Terry Fox Run, this morning’s triathlon was to honour Greg Sylvester. A founding member of the Triathlon Club, Sylvester passed away from a heart attack in 2006.

“He was one of the guys who used to help out with the Terry Fox,” said Mark Nagy, President of the Prince Albert Triathlon Club.

“So we thought ‘hey let’s do it on the same day and raise some money for Terry Fox.”

The Triathlon Club has been swimming, biking, and running in support of the Terry Fox Foundation since 1992.

Though not all the donations had come in, yesterday’s community run had raised more than $9,500 by the time the runners took off.

All of that money goes to the Terry Fox Foundation and cancer research.

ssterritt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit

by Spencer Sterritt

Prince Albert Terry Fox run posts bigger numbers

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