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Extended family of 6 keeps Fox flame burning at Penticton Channel

In all the richly deserved platitudes handed out to Terry Fox, sometimes we lose sight of the actual physical accomplishment of his Marathon of Hope.

<who>Photo Credit: NowMedia</who>

Fitted with an old-school prosthesis in place of his right leg -- a prosthesis that forced him to hop rather than run -- and ultimately overwhelmed by cancer in his lungs, Fox did the impossible in the spring and summer of 1980.

On average, he ran/hopped almost a full marathon every single day for nearly five full months. That's 5,373 determined, painful, heroic kilometers in all.

Yesterday was the 40th annual edition of the fundraising run named in his honour. But this version was unlike anything previous.

<who>Photo Credit: NowMedia</who>

With the country - and the world -- wrapped up in a pandemic box, the 2020 Terry Fox Run became "virtual." Potential participants were encouraged to do their own runs, alone or with family, and stay clear of the big crowds that typically show up.

In Penticton, probably the most notable of these mini-runs kicked off at 10 am at the SS Sicamous, where a half dozen people in a familial bubble kept the Fox flame burning during a scamper along the Penticton River Channel.

<who>Photo Credit: NowMedia</who>

It didn’t hurt that the skies had finally cleared of smoke the night before.

Along for the fun were Penticton Terry Fox Run organizer Kevin Harvey and wife Pam, Kevin's brother Nigel, the Harvey's daughter Olivia Watt and her husband Campbell (who also happens to be a Penticton city councilor) and their daughter Olivia.

For Kevin Harvey, Sunday was just the latest in a long series of Fox-focused runs he's cranked out since early August. Indeed, he completed 40 such runs over the course of 40 days to honour the 40th anniversary of the Marathon of Hope.

<who>Photo Credit: NowMedia</who>

"There's a lot of different things going on," said Harvey prior to the run. "In Summerland for example they're trying to do enough miles as a community over the course of the month to equal what Terry would have done if he'd finished."

"A friend of mine yesterday in Calgary did 5K and dedicated it to the Terry Fox Run. My daughter down in Arizona just did a run this morning, really early, because it's so hot down there."

<who>Photo Credit: NowMedia</who>

Harvey had set a donation goal of $1,000 for his personal 40 in 40 series, and Sunday said he'd reached $600 to date. "It's all about keeping it going. Next year we're back bigger and better than ever."

For Campbell Watt, who said this was his fourth year as a participant, the day was a chance to support both his father-in-law and Terry.

<who>Photo Credit: NowMedia</who>

"I'm not really a runner," he laughed after the outing. "I try to do a little biking, and a little running, but nothing too significant."

"I got into it to support Kevin really. But it's a wonderful cause. Even if there was smoke today, I think we still would have taken part because I know Terry went through a lot worse."

<who>Photo Credit: NowMedia</who>

Those who still want to donate can do so here. To add a few more dollars to Harvey's 40 in 40 total, go here. All funds raised go to cancer research.



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