Raft River Elementary School held its annual Terry Fox Run Friday afternoon, Sept. 30, with approximately 320 students participating.
This year's run realized just over $300 in donations for the Terry Fox Foundation. The organizers would like to thank all those who made donations.
The primary students (K-3), parents, sponsors and teachers ran or walked around pylons encircling the school field. Loudspeakers played music for them as they walked.
The intermediate students ran, walked and biked through the community. The walkers and runners went up the hill from the school to the bus garage, then along to Norfolk Road where they parted ways. The runners ran up the pipeline to the high school then back past Yellowhead Community Services, while the walkers stayed on the road toward the old hospital. The cyclists rode a circular route around the flats, going out to the ballpark before returning past the post office and Sikh Temple to the school.
Even the weatherman contributed to the event's success as the rain held off until after the run was over. Clearwater RCMP volunteered a cruiser to control traffic on Candle Creek Road while the students walked up the hill.
According to organizer Diane Bishop, this year's focus was to build on Terry's determined and caring spirit.
"We worked together to celebrate Terry's dreams," she said.
Each class has chosen one trait of Terry's to act on for the whole year and has put their choice of trait on the bulletin in the foyer. The traits include caring, determination, integrity and thoughtfulness. The intermediate students were noticeable in modeling leadership to the younger students during the lead up to the event.
The bulletin board holds a picture of Fox and tells a bit of his story. Terry got out of bed at 4:30 a.m. every day and ran 42.2 km each day for 143 days. His run ended Sept. 1, 1980 and he passed away June 10, 1981. The first Terry Fox Run was held in September, 1981.
– Grant Gale