Bangalore will run for hope

BANGALORE: The Terry Fox Run, a charity event aimed at fighting cancer, will be held in Bangalore on September 18. The four-kilometre run will begin at 9 am from Shree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium on Cubbon Road. Flagging off the event will be Kannada cine star, Ramesh Aravind and Canadian Consul General, Shaun Wedick. Padmashree awardee Pankaj Advani and tennis champion Rohan Boppana will also be present at the venue. Spot registration will commence at 8 am.The Terry Fox Run is held in over 3,000 locations around the world. Participants in the fun run can use any non-motorised form of mobility — walking, running, cycling, skating, etc. The event aims to get people from all walks of life to rally around the twin causes of cancer prevention and awareness. The funds from this year’s run will be donated to Tata Memorial Centre to be utilised for cancer research.According to Anu Monga, committee chairperson, “All funds collected during the previous runs were utilised to fund local projects in Bangalore. The last few Terry Fox runs have seen huge participation of over 5,000 participants and have raised over 25 lakhs. We would like to see more participants out this year, helping to raise more money for the cause. All participants will get a certificate irrespective of the distance they cover.”Nitin Tolani, the youngster who has been instrumental in bringing the run back to Bangalore after six years, is equally inspiring. Nitin was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma at the end of 2008 when he was just 19. With his die-hard spirit, he fought to push the cancer into remission. His experience enabled him to connect with Terry Fox’s own ordeal on a very personal level and he was determined to carry the latter’s legacy forward. “My aim behind organising this run is to spread awareness about rare cancers as there is a lack of knowledge regarding them,” said Nitin Tolani.The event is named after Terry Fox, a Canadian who was diagnosed with bone cancer at the age of 18 and had to have his right leg amputated. While in the hospital, Terry was so moved by the suffering of cancer patients that he decided to run across Canada to help raise funds for cancer research. He commenced his ‘Marathon of Hope’ and his determination resulted in his running an average of 42 km a day for 143 days. In September 1980, Terry was forced to end his marathon as the cancer had now spread to his lungs. He died in June 1981 at the age of 22. For more details, visit http://www.terryfoxrunbangalore.com.