Terry Fox's spirit reaches Indonesia
By Jim Plouffe
JAKARTA (JP): Although cancer is monstrously effective at killing, one thing it cannot do is shatter hope. No one has proved this better than a young Canadian named Terry Fox, who fought the dreaded disease without pause for the last four years of his life. His spirit has continued both the fight and the hope for a cure since he succumbed to bone cancer in 1981.
Now, 15 years after Canadians first hit the pavement to carry on Terry Fox's "Marathon of Hope", Indonesia has fittingly become the 50th country to join the fight against cancer by holding a Terry Fox Run on the country's 50th anniversary of independence. The run, organized by the Canadian Embassy, the Indonesia Canada Business Council, the Canadian Women's Association, the Canadian Alumni in Indonesia, Yayasan Kanker Indonesia and The Regent Jakarta, will help raise money for the treatment of cancer in Indonesia.
Cancer cannot silence courage.
At the age of 18, Fox's right leg was amputated six inches above the knee in an attempt to stop the cancer. While recuperating in hospital, Fox saw the suffering and courage of other patients and pledged to do something about the chronic lack of cancer research funding. He decided to run across Canada with the hope of raising one dollar from each of Canada's 24 million inhabitants.
On April 12, 1980, Fox dipped his artificial leg into the Atlantic Ocean in St. John's Newfoundland and started running westward. He ran 42 kilometers a day for the next 143 days -- the equivalent of a marathon each day for almost five months.
After covering 5,565 km, the cancer spread to Fox's lungs and forced him to stop near Thunder Bay, Ontario, over halfway home.
Counsellor G.E. Rishchynski from the Canadian Embassy in Jakarta compares it to running from Banda Aceh to Irian Jaya. "He basically made it to Flores," explained Rishchynski.
Terry Fox died on June 28, 1981, one month before his 23rd birthday. He had reached his fund-raising goal five months earlier.
Cancer cannot destroy peace.
At 7:00 a.m this Sunday, Sept. 17, the Terry Fox run's organizing committee hope that at least 1,500 people will shatter the city's early morning calm by pulling on their running shoes, jumping on their bikes or lacing on their rollerblades to cover the five and 10 kilometer courses.
Canadian Ambassador Lawrence Dickenson, who admitted during an interview with The Jakarta Post that this will be the first time he has participated in a Terry Fox Run, will officially open the event with Minister for Youth and Sports Hayono Isman at The Regent Jakarta on Jl. Rasuna Said. The run will start and finish at the hotel.
"Indonesia has become the 50th country to join the run which has become a symbol of a phenomenal Canadian charitable experience. That is what I find so exciting about it personally. This is not about big government, this is not about big business, it is about individuals making a difference. And I think that is far more than just symbolism, it is something quite concrete," said Dickenson, who has been training every weekend and will walk the five kilometer course.
Cancer cannot suppress memories
The event has expanded to 50 countries -- from Australia to Zimbabwe -- since the first run was held 15 year ago. In 1981 there were 800 run sites, 4,000 volunteers and 300,000 participants. Last year there were 3,600 run sites, 16,600 volunteers and 600,000 participants who raised US$9.4 million for innovative cancer research. So far, $144 million has been donated in the memory of Terry Fox.
The Jakarta appeal has already raised over Rp 50 million in corporate sponsorship, but the organizers are aiming for at least Rp 100 million to enable Yayasan Kanker Indonesia to fight cancer in Indonesia.
"I should underline that all the monies that will be made during the run and the walk will stay in Indonesia and will go for the fight against cancer," stressed Dickenson.
The Rp 5,000 individual registration fee will mostly go toward the T-shirt, sun visor and breakfast that the run's host, The Regent Jakarta, will provide for every participant. The bulk of the money will come from donations.
"The (Canadian) business associations have been very active in seeking corporate donations from their membership and encouraging their own staff to come out. It is meant to be fun," the Canadian Ambassador said.
Cancer cannot kill friendship
Stressing that it is not a race but a family event based on friendship, Diana Moxon from The Regent said that the five kilometer course will run from the hotel over to Jl. M.H. Thamrin and up to the traffic circle in front of Plaza Indonesia and then back to the hotel. The 10 km route will continue on from the traffic circle to loop around Monas before returning to the hotel. Because it is not a race, it really doesn't matter how far each participant gets, just as long as they are there and enjoy themselves.
"All of the clubs or associations that bring Canadians together are a part of the coordinating team, so they will have a lot of members out," said Dickenson, making it sound more like a challenge than a statement.
He added that "the run is something that certainly grips the Canadian community every September. It has become part of our culture actually, part of the social fabric of the country."
The Terry Fox Foundation, which was established in 1988 to coordinate the massive undertaking, doesn't only raise money for cancer research. It also spreads the remarkable story of Terry Fox across the world in the hope that young people can derive inspiration from his courage and be enriched by his example.
To make the morning more successful, Moxon asks anyone wanting to participate in the event to enroll before Sunday at Yayasan Kanker Indonesia, the business center at The Regent Jakarta or at any Clarke Hatch Fitness Center. Registration at the run will begin at 6:00 a.m. on Sunday with the start being sounded at 7:00 a.m. Anyone who simply wants to donate to the cause, can sponsor a runner or drop the donation off at the places listed above.