A local student has been recognized for her ongoing efforts to keep the dream of a Canadian icon alive.
Jocelyn Adams, a Grade 7 student at St. Pius X Catholic School in Tecumseh, has been a tireless fundraiser for the Terry Fox Foundation for 10 years. She was recognized for her commitment with a surprise visitor Monday afternoon.
Fred Fox, older brother of Terry Fox, stopped by the school to personally thank Adams for the work she does for the foundation. He presented the surprised youngster with a gift package that included a t-shirt and a book, in front of school staff, her family and reporters.
Fox is in Windsor-Essex this week giving talks to students at a variety of schools, but he made sure he had time to thank Adams for her fundraising. Fox said his brother would be overwhelmingly proud of her.
"It's children that inspired Terry, kids of Jocelyn's age who inspired Terry," said Fox. "When he was in the cancer ward taking his chemotherapy, he saw young students like this suffering and going through it. That's what inspired Terry and made him want to run across Canada."
Terry Fox was an athletic teenager growing up in British Columbia who lost a leg to a rare form of cancer known as osteosarcoma. Wearing an artificial leg, Terry Fox attempted in 1980 to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research, in what was dubbed the Marathon of Hope. Fox was forced to stop his run outside Thunder Bay, Ont. when the cancer returned and spread to his lungs. He died in 1981.
Adams' mother told BlackburnNewsWindsor.com that her daughter first began raising money for the Terry Fox Foundation when she was three years old, running a juice and granola stand outside her home. The juice stand grew into a big garage sale. To date, Adams has singlehandedly raised $23,000 for the foundation.
For her part, Adams said this is something she could not have done on her own.
"It's not all me that does it," she said. "A lot of my family helps me out. It's a big set up with everybody, a lot of commitment and a lot of hours put in, but in the end, it comes out really good."
The Terry Fox Run takes place in communities across Canada and around the world. For complete information on the foundation, visit its official website.
Fred Fox, brother of Terry Fox, meets with Grade 7 student Jocelyn Adams at St. Pius X School in Tecumseh, May 6, 2019. Photo by Mark Brown/Blackburn News.