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Terry Fox Runs held in the NWT 10 communities participate in annual fundraiserPaul Bickford Northern News Services Published Monday, Sept 24, 2012
"We're getting great reports back from the Northwest Territories communities and we're always happy to have them participating," said Trevor Prosser, the fundraising and office administrator with the Terry Fox Foundation of Alberta, NWT and Nunavut, which is based in Calgary. Prosser said 10 communities participating in the NWT is about average for the fundraising initiative. The communities were Aklavik, Enterprise, Fort Providence, Fort Simpson, Fort Smith, Hay River, Inuvik, Norman Wells, Tuktoyaktuk and Yellowknife. As of Sept. 19, Prosser said he has heard back from three NWT sites. Yellowknife had 273 participants and raised $34,766, Fort Simpson had 25 participants and raised $645, and Enterprise had 18 participants and raised $1,343. The number of people participating and the total raised in Enterprise was particularly notable because there are only about 95 people in the community. "It's a small community, but it was a great turnout in terms of what they were able to raise for such a small community," Prosser said. Vivianne Cadieux, the organizer of the event in Enterprise, was pleased with the turnout and total collected. "It is amazing," she said. "We did better this year than when we've had it in the past in Enterprise. I think it was just because it was such a beautiful day." Cadieux noted even more money has been collected in Enterprise. "We're up to about $1,600 now," she said, adding that is expected to be the final total. Cadieux said, along with Enterprise residents, some other participants came from Hay River and the Hay River Reserve. A Terry Fox Run has been held in Enterprise each year since the late 1990s. Cadieux, who was an organizer for the first time this year, said she has always participated in a Terry Fox Run since it began in 1981, and intends to carry on participating into the future. "I know as long as I'm alive, I'll always fundraise for Terry Fox," she said. Terry Fox was a young man from British Columbia who had lost a leg to cancer and launched his 'Marathon of Hope' in 1980 to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. His run ended in northern Ontario when it was discovered the cancer had spread to his lungs, and he died the next year. Inspired by the 'Marathon of Hope', the Terry Fox Run was launched in 1981 to carry on Terry Fox's dream.
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