Barriere’s late Ted Smith will be at the finish line of the annual Terry Fox Run in spirit this Sunday.
The event’s longtime volunteer for the event, who died in November 2020 at the age of 88, is being memorialized with a special cedar archway in Fadear Park. To celebrate his legacy, Gilbert Smith Forest Products - his family’s company - has commissioned the archway at the traditional end of the run.
The cedar wood was cut by the team at Gilbert Smith and shaped into the design by Clearwater’s NEST Timber Home and Design. A dedication ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. Sept. 19 for employees of Gilbert Smith and others who were close to Ted.
“He was instrumental in supporting the run and he would push his crew members at the cedar mill to go into in the run,” said Kathy Cooper, Barriere’s Terry Fox Run co-organizer. “After he retired, he would come out and give everyone who finished the run a high five and say ‘way to go.’”
The annual Terry Fox Run is slated for this Sunday, Sept. 19 and Barriere residents are invited to run, walk, wheel their way to help fund cancer research. The event will follow the “One day. Your way” model, which allows families or individuals to do walk, run, bike or even ride their horse to mark the day and raise funds.
A booth will also be manned from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Fadear Park for those who want to run the traditional 10-kilometre route. The 41st annual run is in honour of Terry Fox, who attempted to run one-legged across Canada in 1980 to raise funds for cancer research.
“What we give is so small compared to what that young man did and he’ll forever be a hero in Canada,” said Cooper. “I just find it marvelous to be a part of the team working towards his dream. Even in the midst of this adversity from the pandemic we’re still here and going to make it work anyway we can.”
Barriere last year raised $8,383, which Cooper said is considerable for a town of just 2,000 people. Since 1981 Cooper said they have raised $194,000 and expected they could break $200,000 this year.
Registration can be done online through the Terry Fox Foundation or at the AG Food Store from Sept. 13 - 18 this week. Cooper and her fellow organizers will be there from 4-6 p.m. giving out pledge forms and accepting donations.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic is on everyone’s mind, Cooper said funding research into finding cancer is still as important as ever.
Anyone with questions about this year’s run is asked to call Cooper at 250-571-3401.
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