Over 300 students ran, walked or jogged a three-kilometre loop for E.S. Laird Middle School’s annual Terry Fox Run. The run starts at the front of the school, goes around the soccer fields past the Legion Ball Park and back to the school.
Morgan Mann, a teacher and counsellor at the school, says students have been taught about Terry Fox’s story since kindergarten.
“They’ve had education on Terry Fox since the beginning of their education so they’re well versed in it and they’re very respectful of it. It’s one of our good days here at E.S. Laird.”
The school’s cross country team holds the event and adds an extra element to the run.
“The cross country team thought let’s have a more formal run competition for the school and compete for an annual trophy each year.”
The team designed the loop to be exactly three kilometres as it is the distance they will be running in competitions. Forty to fifty students take part in the competitive side of the event and Abby Kirsch has won the trophy in the past three years. Kirsch has since moved on from E.S. Laird and is now in high school.
“With her competing it was pretty tough competition so the trophy is open and up for grabs this year.”
This year the winner was Grade 9 student Kayden Bielecki with a time of 10 minutes and 55 seconds.
The event promotes health and wellness and also raises funds for the Terry Fox Foundation which uses the money for cancer research. The school tries to raise $1 per student for the Foundation with a barbeque at the end of the run.
“His campaign and the Foundation, cents to dollars, still does is considered the best, I think, in Canada in terms of money going to actual research. So we’re proud and honoured to support it.”