Darren Campbell
Northern News Services

NNSL (Sep 08/99) - Even today, Sharon Riviere is still amazed by what Terry Fox did in 1980 with his Marathon of Hope.

"Here he was on one leg and he limped and ran 26 miles on some days," said Riviere. "I just think that's amazing, even today."

It is usually this time of year when Yellowknifers and Canadians start thinking of Terry Fox, the Port Coquitlam, B.C. man who captured the country's imagination with his 1980 run across Canada to raise money for cancer research.

On Sept. 19, the 19th annual Terry Fox Run for cancer research will take place across Canada. This year, Riviere will be the co-ordinator of the event in Yellowknife.

Since it started, the run has become a worldwide fund-raiser. There will be one million participants and 5,000 run sites across Canada and the world. The event is run in countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Brazil. Since its inception, the run has raised over $220 million for cancer research.

Yellowknifers have done their part over the years. For example, in 1998, $19,107 was raised in the city during the run. That total was good enough to get Yellowknife into the top 10 fund-raising communities in Canada per capita. That effort has not gone unnoticed. None other than Fox's mother, Betty, brought the number up in an interview from Edmonton three weeks ago.

"You do an outstanding job up there," said Fox. "The totals in Yellowknife are fantastic, although we'd like to see more schools involved."

Carol Wrigglesworth, who co-ordinated last year's run and has been involved the last three years, said it does not surprise her that Yellowknifers are so generous -- even 18 years after Fox's death from cancer in 1981.

"I think they just believe in Terry's cause," said Wrigglesworth.

Riviere added that cancer touches just about everyone and many of the people who volunteer or participate in the run are cancer survivors or know someone who has the disease.

"You don't have to go too far to see somebody impacted by it," said Riviere, who lost her aunt and grandmother to cancer this year.

Of course, finding a cure for cancer is the only way to prevent that from happening to people like Riviere. It is why Terry Fox started his run in St. John's, Nfld., April 12, 1980. It is why his mother Betty keeps criss-crossing the country every year, promoting the run.

"I'm very privileged to share my son's story with (people) and ask them to get involved and be a part of what Terry started," said Fox.