Photos: St. Peter's and Holy Cross Secondary School Unite For Terry Fox Rally Fundraiser For Cancer Research

Roughly over 1,800 students and faculty from St. Peter’s Secondary School (SPSS) and Holy Cross Secondary School (HCSS) came together to walk for the Terry Fox Rally to raise money for cancer research on Thursday morning.

Neave Alderson leads the charge for St. Peter's Secondary School in a joint effort with Holy Cross Secondary School for the Terry Fox Rally. All photos by David Tuan Bui

Both institutions walked in a circuit, starting from St. Peter’s on Medical Drive before convening at the school’s football field.

“To see the love and the effort here to support such a cause in Terry Fox, I know that cancer has affected each of our lives so to be here today and to have the energy, it's such a beautiful feeling,” said Natalie Bittner, HCSS principal.

HCSS aimed to raise $15,000 for the Terry Fox Foundation. Their most significant fundraising method was selling dress-down tickets to allow students to dress casually rather than in their uniforms for a week. The school did face painting and nail decorations and sold Terry Fox apparel to help with the fundraiser.

SPSS had a more ambitious goal of $70,000. Students registered with the Terry Fox website to raise money independently. They also had dress-down days and ran community events to raise funds.

“Last year, we finished third overall in Canada for raising the most,” said Shannon Brady, SPSS principal. “Last year, we raised $60,000 so we’re bumping it up to $70,000 this year.”

All proceeds from the snack and concession stands —sold by both schools on-site — went towards the schools’s respective fundraiser totals.

The two schools also held their annual football game against each other, with both the junior and senior teams playing, following the walk in the afternoon. The game is known as the ‘Catholic Bowl’ or ‘Holy Bowl.’ since it is the city’s only two Catholic high schools. It started in 2003 when Holy Cross began its inaugural football program.

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St Peter Teacher Running 100km Over 18 Hours Straight After Impressive Terry Fox Campaign

UPDATED: 9:40 a.m. Nov. 26, 2021.

Mme. Julie Vallieres, a teacher at St Peter Secondary School, is aiming to run 100 km, running from 3:00 p.m. on Thursday to 9:00 a.m. on Friday.

Photo courtesy of Julie Vallieres.

When the annual Terry Fox campaign at St Peter launched in October, Vallieres vowed to do this run if students raised over $30,000. A small group of teachers also promised to camp outside the school Thursday night.

Students surpassed the goal on Oct. 27 with a final tally of over $33,000.

“I’m not an athlete, I’m just someone who started running for my physical and mental health,” said Vallieres. “I’m not fast, I just know that when I set a goal I will reach it. I just get so much confidence from it.”

Photos courtesy of Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Clarington Catholic School Board

Her goal for the overnight run is 100 km over the span of 18 hours. She will periodically be joined by other teachers though she warned them she will not be slowing down for them.

“This challenge - when you compare to what Terry Fox did- it’s nothing,” said Vallieres. “I’m healthy, I’ve got both my legs. This is not a big challenge. Like Terry Fox said ‘Anything is possible when you try. Often the limits you give yourself, that’s you limiting what you can do.”

Vallieres bib has a quote in both French and English to represent St Peters French immersion program. Photo courtesy of Julie Vallieres.

Vallieres will be running with a photo of her father and her father-in-law, who both died after a battle with cancer on her bib.

“Their photos are always on my hydration pack. Whenever I’m running and I don’t feel like running anymore I just think of my dad and my father-in-law and their battle with cancer, and then it makes me think of Terry Fox too, what he did with half a leg. It’s like, you know what lets go keep pushing. Everything is possible once it’s done.”

Vallieres completed her 100 km run Friday morning.

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Terry Fox Run Goes Virtual For a Second Consecutive Year

The annual Terry Fox Run in Peterborough is going virtual to comply with COVID-19 protocols which will be held on Sept. 19.

Photo Courtesy of Terry Fox Run Peterborough.

Participants are invited to walk around their neighbourhood, backyard, down the street or around the block for this year’s event.

Despite the 2021 run repeating last year’s format, it was a record-breaking year for fundraising says Shannon McKinley, event organizer.

Participants have gone door to door asking for donations and often brought pledge forms to their workplaces in past years. COVID-19 has changed the format to online fundraising.

“Typically $20,000 is a good year for us and last year we were a bit worried because of the different format of the run,” said McKinley. “We actually surpassed $28,000 which we’ve never done before.”

She recalls being eager to gather again this year and was not expecting to have to host a virtual event again.

“We’re encouraging people to find new ways to participate,” said McKinley. “ You can go on a unicycle, you can rollerblade, we can think of new ways to fundraise and to participate.”

Over $4,000 has been donated to Terry Fox Peterborough. McKinley says they will not have a total amount until after the event.

The annual Terry Fox bake sale, hosted by Mckinley, is being held on Sept. 12 at 1444 Monaghan Rd. Social distancing will be in place and pre-orders are welcome. Payment is by donation with 100 per cent of the money raised going to the Terry Fox Foundation. For more information click here.

To register for the Terry Fox Run or to donate click here.

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Amazing School Spirit (And Solidarity) Was Displayed At Yesterday's Terrry Fox Run

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The Terry Fox Run Takes Place This Sunday At Nicholls Oval

The annual Terry Fox Run for Cancer Research takes place on Sunday, September 18th, with our local one beginning that day at 8 a.m. at Nicholls Oval.  The route is also bicycle, rollerblade, and wheelchair friendly.  

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Julie Morris]

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