Most mornings in Campbell River, you will see 76-year-old Doug Vater journey along the citysa国际传媒檚 Seawalk.
People will often stop and speak with him on those sometimes dull and dreary because his t-shirt catches their eye.
Emblazoned on it is Terry Fox, the champion of cancer research who famously attempted to run coast to coast across Canada in 1980 to raise money for the cause.
For Vater, Fox was not just a national hero, he was a man of incredible humility, and for that crucial period, a companion in his Marathon of Hope.
sa国际传媒淲hen he stopped his run, wesa国际传媒檇 bring in literally garbage bags of mail into the Fox home,sa国际传媒� said Vater. sa国际传媒淭he letter opener we got was an industrial sized one. I opened one letter, and it said sa国际传媒楾o Terry Fox onlysa国际传媒�. It was a cheque for $2,500. I handed it to Terry. He looked at it and said sa国际传媒榮end it back. It only goes to cancer research.sa国际传媒檚a国际传媒�
Vater first crossed paths with the Fox family in 1980, when he was the vice-president of the Port Coquitlam-Port Moody Chamber of Commerce (now the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce). Fox won the organizationsa国际传媒檚 athlete of the year award in 1980. A few months later, Fox began his historic run with a goal of $1 dollar for every Canadian at the time going toward cancer research.
Vater was in his car, heading to meetings in Vancouver when he heard about Foxsa国际传媒檚 mission.
sa国际传媒淚 thought, I had to get involved in some way,sa国际传媒� said Vater.
Get involved Vater did. Inspired by a trip back to his native Newfoundland, he returned to Port Coquitlam with a simple mission: for Port Coquitlam to know Terrysa国际传媒檚 objective, and to let Fox know that his hometown was behind him as well.
sa国际传媒淲hen I went back east, to see the excitement that was happening there,sa国际传媒� said Vater. sa国际传媒淭here was no excitement around Port Coquitlam. Wesa国际传媒檇 hear news, but the excitement in the east was phenomenal.sa国际传媒�
Approaching the Cancer Society, Vater didnsa国际传媒檛 think about donations and fundraising. But, thrust into the position, Vater set a goal with city council and the Cancer Society of $100,000.
sa国际传媒淰olunteers came from everywhere,sa国际传媒� said Vater. sa国际传媒淭he city got involved, businesses from around got involved. There was no Facebook back then.sa国际传媒�
The second goal Vater had stemming from his philanthropic efforts was that he wanted to join Terry on his trek. He managed to meet up with the sa国际传媒淢arathon of Hopesa国际传媒� entourage just east of Terrace Bay,Ont., just one week before Fox had to stop his run in Thunder Bay. The bone cancer had spread to his lungs.
Foxsa国际传媒檚 goal of $1 for each Canadian had been raised by Feb. 1981. Fox passed away that June.
sa国际传媒淵ou could tell that something was wrong,sa国际传媒� said Vater about that final week. sa国际传媒淗e was tense.sa国际传媒�
Forty-three years later, Vater says that he feels Fox would be in awe of the global phenomenon the Terry Fox Run has become.
sa国际传媒淚 donsa国际传媒檛 think Terry even knew what he started,sa国际传媒� said Vater. sa国际传媒淭hat just speaks to how humble he was.sa国际传媒�
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