ONE North Vancouver native is going above and beyond to raise money for this year's Terry Fox Run.
Morgan Lunn, 20, is not only planning the Terry Fox Run at the University of Western Ontario this year, she is also running 1,000 kilometres together with her roommate, Tori Stone, 20, to fundraise in the lead-up to the Terry Fox Run.
Lunn and Stone embarked on this mission as they were looking for a challenge and a way to lead by example.
"We were at home and we thought, 'OK, we are organizing this, but we need to do more. How are we going to inspire people?' And we said, 'Well, why don't we run 1,000 km," said Lunn. The pair have reached their fundraising goal of $3,000 and hope to finish the 1,000 km at Western's Terry Fox Run on Sept. 16.
Lunn, an honours business administration student, said the support she and Stone have received from their family, friends, professors and even complete strangers has been overwhelming. What keeps her running is the hope that some day the people she is running for will be able to run with her.
"I've had family members who have been diagnosed and have passed away. One of my best friends, he lost his mom to breast cancer two years ago. I'm running for him and all the people left behind," said Lunn.
Four times a week they get out their door by 7 a.m. and do a run before they head to their full time jobs.
Stone, a health sciences student from Cambridge, Ont., is helping to organize the Terry Fox Run and events surrounding it. She finds the early morning starts hard but said, "I remember how many people there are out there, who can't get up and who can't run, and who need this. They need someone to fight for them because right now they can't fight for themselves."
Western's Terry Fox run is the largest at any post-secondary institution in Canada, said Lunn, who is co-ordinating the run. She hopes to beat last year's fundraising total of $220,000.
"The biggest thing for us is seeing students be engaged and it's so inspiring to be there when 7,000 frosh, first years, are coming in. Everyone has their rivalries between faculties and residences but everyone comes together for Terry Fox. Everyone
fights for that reason," said Lunn.
Kim Smith, community events co-ordinator for Terry Fox Ontario, works with Lunn and supports her with supplies and encourages her throughout the campaign. She said the money from all Terry Fox fundraising is given out in grants by the foundation to various research projects that investigate cures to numerous different types of cancer.
On average three to three and a half million Canadians participate in the Terry Fox Run, raising between $20 and $25 million to support cancer research annually.
The North Vancouver Terry Fox run will be happening on Sunday, Sept. 16 at Inter River Park. Registration opens at 9 a.m. and the run will be held between 10 and 11: 30 a.m. Participants can choose to do a 10-, five-, two-or one-km route.
The West Vancouver Terry Fox run is also happening on Sunday, Sept. 16 at Ambleside Park. Runners can register between 8 and 9 a.m. and the run starts at 9 a.m. There are no dogs allowed and the participants can choose a route of 10-, five-or two-km. For more information, visit www. terryfox.org/Run.
