- Over 1,000 people took part in Stouffville’s 2026 Terry Fox Run on Sunday, raising more than $102,000 for cancer research.
- Participants included cancer survivors wearing the event’s traditional red shirts.
- Ryan Cairny, the Run’s 2026 ambassador, shared a message about resilience before joining the five-kilometre walk.
- Run chair Adele Palmer credited the event’s continued success to the participants, donors, and volunteers who spend months preparing for the event.
- Fundraising continues after the event, with proceeds supporting cancer research through the Terry Fox Foundation.
- Kevin Liu, once unable to walk after suffering a stroke, completed a 50-minute walk at the Run following years of rehab and physiotherapy.
More than 1,000 people filled the streets of Stouffville on Sunday for the 2026 Terry Fox Run, helping raise more than $102,000 for cancer research. For run chair Adele Palmer, the annual event continues to be one of the community’s most meaningful traditions.
“I think this community really comes from a place of tradition and legacy, and just a belief that they have made a difference in all these years,” Palmer said. “As our community grows, I think it’s something special to them and everybody wants to be a part of it.”
The sea of participants included people wearing red shirts, a Terry Fox Run tradition that recognizes cancer survivors. Among them was the event’s 2026 ambassador, Ryan Cairny, who delivered an emotional speech before participants set out on the route.
“It was an incredibly emotional day,” he said. “A lot of people out there, a lot of people I don’t know, but kind of all here for the same purpose.”
His message focused on resilience in the face of life’s challenges: “Be strong when you’re given a tough task, whether it’s something in your control or out of your control. Battle it as best you can and be positive.”
Cairny later joined participants for the five-kilometre walk, describing himself jokingly as the event’s “pace car” as he spent the morning talking with fellow walkers and supporters. For him, seeing the size of the crowd firsthand was overwhelming.
“When you get up on stage and you really see the mass numbers that show up for this, it’s pretty incredible,” he said. “It’s overwhelming to know that many people support the cause.”
Palmer credited the success of the event not only to participants and donors, but also to the volunteers who spend months preparing for run day.
“People want to come and they want to be a part of something that’s really special,” she said. “Every volunteer counts.”
Despite the challenges that come with organizing one of the community’s largest annual events, Palmer said the experienced volunteer team consistently finds a way to make everything come together.
“There’s always something, but we work together and we communicate,” she said. “People know what their job is, people know what they’re going to do, and everything always falls into place.”
As fundraising totals continued to climb past the $102,000 mark, Palmer reflected on another successful year for an event that has become woven into the fabric of the community. “My heart is full,” she said.
Donations are still being accepted, and funds raised will support cancer research through the Terry Fox Foundation—continuing a legacy that has inspired Canadians for more than four decades.
One Step at a Time
For Terry Fox Run participant Kevin Liu, simply taking a step was once an uncertain goal.
After suffering a stroke, Liu began an intensive rehabilitation journey that brought him to physiotherapist Louisa Simpson’s clinic in 2022. At the time, he was unable to walk and had limited ability to communicate.
“When he first came to outpatient physiotherapy, Kevin was non-verbal and non-ambulatory,” Simpson said. “During our early sessions, I would ask him to blink to let me know he understood what I was saying.”
Doctors had warned that he might never walk again. But through regular physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, acupuncture, and years of hard work, Liu continued to make progress.
That determination recently led to a major achievement: completing a 50-minute walk as part of his participation in Sunday’s Terry Fox Run. Simpson said the milestone is especially meaningful for the team that has worked alongside him throughout his recovery.
“It’s been a four-year journey, one step at a time,” she said. “Kevin persevered through everything.”
Liu chose the Terry Fox Run because he sees parallels between his own recovery and Fox’s legacy of courage and determination.
“Because he would really represent perseverance, and…in the face of adversity, to turn into hope and…do something good out of… something bad,” Liu said.
Today, what once seemed impossible has become reality. A man who was told he might never walk again has completed a 50-minute walk, proving that perseverance can carry a person farther than anyone expects.
Cover image taken by Randy Barba
