Kirkland Terry Fox Run takes on special meaning for organizers

By Kevin Woodhouse, August 22nd, 2012

All across the country and province on Sunday, Sept. 16, Canadians will be coming together to raise money for cancer and to support Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope. West Island runs will be held in Pierrefonds-Roxboro, Pointe Claire and Kirkland and for the young organizers of the Kirkland event, this year's run has taken on an even more special meaning.
Kathleen Houlihan, Michele Morningstar, Paloma Navarrete-Rolls & Elena Trigiani are young people who have decided to make a difference and give back, taking part in the city's third annual run. So far the four, along with many volunteers and participants, have helped raise close to $15,000 for the cause and are hoping to raise $9,000 at this year's race taking place at Heritage Park in Kirkland.
For Trigiani, this year's race has a very special meaning as her great-grandmother succumbed to the disease last year and her grandmother had an operation to remove a cancerous tumour.  "My motivation has changed a little bit this year as I saw it hit home for me," Trigiani told The Suburban.
One of the reasons for the organizers, whose average age is 23, to bring the race to Kirkland was that, in their experience, once students get to cegep or university, "they don't get to take part in an activity that we were weaned on as children," said Trigiani.  "This run brings all generations together to take part which is a nice way of bringing people together for a good cause."
And Trigiani insists that participants can walk, run, bike, roller blade or come by wheelchair.  "It is not a race but really a matter of getting out there," Trigiani said.  "There is no minimum donation as it is about knowing you're contributing in some way to beating cancer."
The family style event is being kept as there will be on site entertainment for the younger set that will feature a barbecue, games, face painting and a DJ.
Volunteers will be needed for the event and anyone interested in helping out should drop the organizers an e-mail at kirkland.terryfoxrun@gmail.com.
The Pierrefonds-Roxboro borough and city of Pointe Claire will also be hosting Terry Fox events.  Pierrefonds-Roxboro's run will occur at Parc George-Springate Park located at Pierrefonds Comprehensive High School.  For more information, contact moniqueforterryfox@yahoo.ca.  Pointe Claire's 5 and 10 km event gets underway at 10 a.m. at Parc Alexandre Borgeau.n