Parents, students and teachers at Ponoka Elementary School (PES) celebrated more than $12,000 raised for the Terry Fox Foundation.
The school held its annual Terry Fox Run Thursday, Sept. 25 at a full school assembly. Support for PES’s run has generally been strong with donations and help from residents and businesses. Vice-principal Nicole Rawlinson felt that help has made the school’s run a fun event.
“All those people that donated to the Terry Fox Run, thank you so much,” said Rawlinson to participants.
Teacher Tina Nielsen, a member of the organizing committee, says the run has been held for as long as she can remember. “I’m always amazed at how we’re never short of volunteers.”
Parents, retired teachers and high school students came to PES to help out with the event. They supported students as they ran a specific number of laps around the school grounds. Nielsen suggests there is quite a bit of ownership with regard to students’ participation.
“We also make an effort to talk about the history of Terry Fox,” she explained.
She feels knowing Fox’s history has given students a strong sense of community. With the number of helpers and dedication from students and teachers, Nielsen suggests they will be hosting a Terry Fox Run for many years to come.