Students hit streets for good cause

Both Gloucester’s Lester B. Pearson Secondary School and Henry Larsen Elementary School held Terry Fox runs throughout the week, collecting an estimated total of approximately $5,000 for the Terry Fox Foundation.

At Lester B. on Thursday, Sept. 24, students and staff took part in two opportunities to hit the pavement, holding a five-kilometre run in the afternoon and a 10k run from Gloucester to the downtown Terry Fox memorial that morning, explains Jocelyn Riopelle, a Lester B. teacher.

With 1,100 students at the school, faculty were hoping for 300 to sign up for the 10k run, she continues, expressing their surprise when over 400 came out for the early-morning event.

“In our wildest dreams, we never expected that,” Riopelle says, laughing.

The idea to do the 10k run came from a teacher who had completed it at another school, she recounts, adding Innes Coun. Rainer Bloess was on hand to start the run and Ottawa-Orléans MP Royal Galipeau was at the memorial to greet students. Back at the school, students also took part in a BBQ, tug of war and various activities that pitted teachers versus pupils, Riopelle describes.

Lester B. managed to raise over $3,000 for the Terry Fox Foundation, she continues, which “was pretty close to last year’s total.”

Meanwhile at Henry Larsen Elementary School – which has participated in Terry Fox activities for the past eight years – all 540-something students took part in their Friday, Sept. 25 run, explains teacher Sally Spack. Though funds raised throughout the day are still being counted, she estimates the school has come well within range of their typical $2,000 amount gathered for the Terry Fox Foundation.

The event has even more meaning after former Henry Larsen principal Denis Landry passed away from cancer two years ago, Spack continues, with the school’s annual event now dedicated to the avid runner.

“It’s close to home,” she adds. “It’s absolutely something where you can see the results of where the money is going. There’s a lot of progress that’s been made.”

Beyond the academic community, another group has also pushed ahead efforts to gather money for the Terry Fox Foundation, deciding to extend a year-long fundraising project.

After spending a year leading up to the Sept. 13 Terry Fox Run at Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School collecting and returning recyclables for money, Orléans resident Michaela Pontello and her family, including sons aged four and six, handed over a cheque for $668 to the foundation.

But the decision to continue their venture for another year came after the family returned home from the run, and were greeted by someone with a box of bottles, Pontello recounts. Already another neighbour has volunteered to help the family collect more recyclables, she adds.

“I look at that, and really, how can I not?” Pontello says. “It’s so inspiring to know other people are rallying around you.”

This time around, she continues, while the family will maintain their role as primary organizers, they will also increase their appeals to the community to pitch in.

“We want to appeal to the neighbourhood, the community, family friends to save their bottles for us,” Pontello explains. “If we can actually get people (involved), it’ll be more efficient and help to beat last year’s goal.”

To contact Michaela Pontello for the bottle drive, please call 613-830-6781.