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Weather hits Terry Fox Run in Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows

Weather conditions could have been better for the 35th Terry Fox Run as rain and wind pelted participants Sunday, and the results showed.
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Ali Wakeling and her son Sebastien at the Terry Fox Run in Pitt Meadows on Sunday.

Weather conditions could have been better for the 35th Terry Fox Run as rain and wind pelted participants Sunday, and the results showed.

“We still had a pretty good turnout,” said organizer Ali Wakeling.

About 300 people turned out for the event raising about $14,000, down $2,000 or so from last year.

That total will grow once returns from the elementary and secondary schools roll in.

This year, the run followed a new route along Hammond Road starting and ending in Spirit Square in Pitt Meadows.

About 50 volunteers helped put on the event.

As usual, politicians, MLAs and city councillors were invited and showed up. And with a federal election on, two candidates for the Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge riding entered the race, Peter Tam running for the Green party and Mike Murray with the Conservatives.

Donna Milburn didn’t like seeing politicians promoting themselves at the run, though.

“This was not the time or place to be advertising for your personal gain. We heard quite a few comments that people were not pleased,” she said on Facebook.

But Wakeling said any team is welcome, whether it’s for a grocery store or any other organization.

“We really love to see teams out at our events at all the Terry Fox Runs.

“Any team that comes in and is raising money for the Terry Fox Foundation – we welcome everybody’s participation.”

Wakeling said she didn’t get any complaints about that.

“All kinds of people come and do the run. Cancer doesn’t care what political party you belong to.”

The national goal this year is to raise $1 from every Canadian, or about $35 million nationwide. Fox had a similar goal in 1980 when he started his run across Canada on one leg.