Joe McWilliams
Lakeside Leader

The Terry Fox Run has a long tradition in Slave Lake, but it’s in danger of not taking place this year unless somebody steps up to make it happen.

This news comes from Arlene Gramiak, who has been helping organizing the September event in recent years. She tells The Leader she’s going to be away that week so she can’t do it this year.

“I would be devastated if it didn’t happen,” she says.

The run is named for legendary cross-Canada runner Terry Fox, who was crossing the country to raise awareness and money for the effort to find a cure for cancer in 1980 when the disease claimed his life. Since then, in communities all across the country and around the world, people have been organizing Terry Fox Runs in his memory, usually around the middle of September.

So… if you want to get involved and make it happen, plenty of support is offered by the Terry Fox Foundation. Christie Krawchuk of that organization is the person to contact. Her phone number is 403-212-1336. Her email is.

According to Krawchuk, Slave Lake’s Terry Fox Run has been going on now for 37 years, and has raised in that time “an incredible” $92,901 for cancer research.