Terry Fox run set for this Sunday in King City
By Bill Rea

Lisa Barenthin is organizing Sunday's Terry Fox Run in King City, assisted by Laura Facca, and their children were helping hold the banners as members of Township council threw their support behind the effort. Seen here are Elliott Barenthin, 5, Michelle Facca, 13, Rachel Barenthin, 9, Valerie Facca, 11, and Diana Facca, 8, with Mayor Margaret Black and Councillors Jane Underhill, Bill Cober, Linda Pabst and Steve Pellegrini.

You can run, walk, ride, blade or even have someone carry you, if you can arrange it. Just take part in the annual Terry fox run, being held Sunday at Wellesley Park in King City.

Lisa Barenthin is coordinating the local event this year, and she's hoping to surpass last year's numbers. There were 295 participants in the 2005 run, and they combined to raise about $21,500 for cancer research.

This is the 26th year for the annual runs, inspired by Terry Fox. he had part of his right leg amputated because of cancer when he was 18, and resolved to run across Canada in his Marathon of Hope to raise money for cancer research. He made it to the Thunder Bay area by September 1980 when he was forced to halt his run because the cancer had spread to his lungs. The first Terry Fox runs were started shortly after that.

He died the following June, a month before his 23rd birthday.

More than $400 million have been raised in his name for cancer research all over the world.

"I think it's a fabulous cause," Barenthin declared. "He's a bit of a hero in our family here."

She added it's "incredible that one person can have an effect on the whole world like that."

The run will go from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Sunday, and Barenthin said there will be one, five or 10-kilometre routes for people to choose from. She added the event is wheelchair accessible, and there will also be a barbecue.

Wellesley Park is at the northwest corner of Keele Street and King Road in King City.