PHOTOS: South Surrey and White Rock Terry Fox Run
Published 3:00 pm Sunday, September 20, 2026
Kids, seniors, families and plenty of four-legged friends gathered under sunny skies at South Surrey Athletic Park on Sunday morning (Sept. 20).
More than 100 people ran, walked, biked and scooted in support of cancer research for the annual South Surrey and White Rock Terry Fox Run.
The run featured a five-kilometer route, with participants gathering for speech and an upbeat warm up before setting off.
For some, this year’s run was their first and for others, it has become a decades-long tradition.
Art Louie, a former athlete, war veteran and cancer survivor, was celebrated and mentioned at the event for having participated in every Terry Fox Run since the first run back in 1981 where he ran in Alberta.
It was announced prior to the run that this 46-year-old event was taking place in around 650 communities across Canada this year, with additional runs reported being held around the world.
Locally, organizers set a fundraising goal of $25,200 with the run having raised $12,689 before Sunday’s (Sept. 20) event.
Together with fundraising efforts at local schools, the community is said to raise about $30,000 each year towards cancer support and research.
Wayne Gunthrie, who was unable to attend the run while in hospital, is the event’s top individual donor this year, having contributed $7,950.
MP for South Surrey and White Rock, Ernie Klassen also could not make the run but had the event host read a letter he wrote while he attended a commitment in Ottawa.
“That spirit of kindness and generosity is alive and well here in South Surrey and White Rock,” Klassen’s letter read. “Communities like ours come together to support one another toward a better future. Those values of caring and inclusion are what makes our country strong and is reflected in the spirit of the Terry Fox run.”
Dr. Michael Cox, who spoke at last year’s run, told participants he didn’t do a head count but thought this year’s crowd looked larger than in previous years.
Cox has a personal connection to the Terry Fox Foundation, having been recruited to a research program funded by Terry Fox after joining the University of Virginia in 2000.
“Terry Fox has been funding research across the country for a long time and has made possible a lot of inroads that we have in cancer therapies in every cancer,” he said.
Learn more about the Terry Fox Foundation at terryfox.org.