October 6, 2026
30
Students, staff and families at St. Anthony’s School in Kincardine have, once again, demonstrated that Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope is alive and well in the next generation.
This fall, the school community raised almost $6,000 for the Terry Fox Foundation, surpassing its school fund-raising goal and raising the highest total among Kincardine schools.
For St. Anthony’s, however, the annual Terry Fox School Run is about much more than reaching a fund-raising target. It's an opportunity to continue a long-standing school tradition of teaching students about Terry’s courage, hope, perseverance and determination.
“Terry Fox continues to be such an important Canadian role model for our students,” said principal Leslie Boerkamp. “His story teaches our children that one person can make a difference and that even when something is difficult, we can choose courage, hope and action. We are incredibly proud of the way our students and families continue to carry his Marathon of Hope forward.”
This year, students learned about Terry’s story and were challenged to work together toward an ambitious fund-raising goal. The school community responded enthusiastically, ultimately bringing in an incredible $5,729 for cancer research.
When students surpassed their goal, Boerkamp and vice-principal Brandon Koebel followed through on a promise to spend the school day wearing bright red tutus. The lighthearted incentive brought plenty of laughter to the hallways while celebrating a very meaningful accomplishment.
St. Anthony's School principal Leslie Boerkamp (right) and vice-principal Brandon Koebel sport red tutus after the school surpassed the fund-raising goal for the annual Terry Fox Run; photos courtesy of St. Anthony's School
The school credits Mme Patrice, Mrs. Beattie and Mme Tew for their leadership in organizing this year’s fund-raising campaign and Terry Fox Run and for helping students understand the significance behind it.
The effort at St. Anthony’s is part of a much larger Canadian tradition. More than 10,000 schools were expected to participate in Terry Fox School Runs across Canada this fall, helping a new generation learn about Terry while raising money for cancer research.
In 2026, the Terry Fox Foundation announced that Canadians had collectively surpassed $1-billion raised for cancer research since Terry began his Marathon of Hope - Terry Fox Foundation (terryfox.org/media-centre/46th-annual-terry-fox-run-to-unite-canadians-in-support-of-cancer-research-on-sunday-september-20-2026/?utm).
At St. Anthony’s, that national story became a local lesson in what can happen when more than 550 students, their families and staff rally around a common purpose.
“We are so grateful to our families for their generosity and to our students for embracing Terry’s message,” said Koebel. “They didn’t just meet the challenge — they blew our goal out of the water. Terry dreamed of Canadians continuing what he started, and we think he would be very proud of the effort of our St. Anthony’s students.”
For another year, St. Anthony’s students have added their footsteps to Terry’s Marathon of Hope — proving that decades later, his example continues to inspire young Canadians to believe they can make a difference.
The St. Anthony's School students learn about Terry Fox and his Marathon of Hope
Written ByLiz Dadson is the founder and editor of the Kincardine Record and has been in the news business since 1986.
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