Derek Feldman, a longtime participant and volunteer in the 亚洲天堂 Lake Terry Fox Run, has taken on the role of lead organizer for the event following the retirement of longtime organizers Carla Carlson and Tammy Zayac.
Feldman, who has lived in 亚洲天堂 Lake since 1976, began participating in the run about 25 years ago with his wife because cancer is prevalent and they wanted to do something about it. Then she died of cancer in 2011 and the event took on new meaning for Feldman, who said he started volunteering to help organize the run in the past few years.
鈥淚t鈥檚 something me and my wife started doing, because cancer is all over鈥� and then she wound up getting cancer and she passed away in 2011,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 not feeling any pain. She鈥檚 up with Jesus. It鈥檚 all good.鈥�
He also remembers following Terry Fox鈥檚 original Marathon of Hope as a teenager.
鈥淓very day on the news, they would report where Terry鈥檚 at, how he鈥檚 doing鈥� That was the highlight of the day," Feldman said "He鈥檚 my hero.鈥�
Feldman described the 亚洲天堂 Lake run as 鈥渕ore than the Terry Fox Run... it鈥檚 a community event."
鈥淭his community is so good about getting together for a good reason and making a celebration out of it, which is something that not every community can say,鈥� he said.
亚洲天堂 Lake also punches above its weight class when it comes to donations collected, Feldman said.
鈥淲e are just shy of $500,000 since this run began鈥� some years we raised $24,000," he said. "It鈥檚 just amazing for this tiny little community.鈥�
Feldman said that when Carlson and Zayac stepped down, he saw the loss of their hard work would create a void and he recognized it was time to step up to the plate to ensure the 亚洲天堂 Lake run remained the special community event it had become.
鈥淭ammy and Carla have done just an amazing job. Carla has been doing this for 44 years, and Tammy has been doing it for 19 years," he said. "I didn鈥檛 want to see it go by the wayside.鈥�
The 2025 run is scheduled for Sept. 14, and will once again be held at Francois Lake Hall, the traditional venue for more than three decades. He said the run's route along Francois Lake adds to the magic of the event.
"It鈥檚 a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful run," he said. "It鈥檚 just all along the lake. It鈥檚 the perfect place for it.鈥�
Feldman, who owns Priestly Meats in town, said his current focus is on networking.
鈥淭here鈥檚 already a group in place, an amazing group of volunteers," he said. "I need to figure out where all the cogs are, and if there鈥檚 any missing then I need to find someone to build that cog.鈥�
He encouraged anyone interested in volunteering to stop by the meat truck on Fridays or get in touch by phone or Facebook.
鈥淪o far it鈥檚 been good. A lot of the volunteers are actually my customers... so I鈥檝e already been talking to quite a few of them,鈥� he said;
Feldman emphasized that this year鈥檚 event will include live music, a silent auction, and food.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an event. Come out and enjoy yourself and be entertained," he said, noting that the cinnamon buns will be particularly delicious and joking that he may eat them all himself. "The auction, it becomes quite competitive.鈥�
Registration will begin at noon and the run starts at 1 p.m.
Outgoing organizer Carla Carlson reflected on her own four-decade journey with the event in a letter to The Lakes District 亚洲天堂 earlier this year.
鈥淚 had the honour of meeting Terry Fox in the fall of 1979,鈥� Carlson wrote. 鈥淗e struck a chord with people and there was not a dry eye in the room鈥� I cried with the rest of Canada when the cancer returned and he was forced to stop his run.鈥�
After Fox鈥檚 passing, Carlson said she knew she wanted to be part of keeping his dream alive.
鈥溠侵尢焯� Lake has been a part of this movement since Sept. 13, 1981, raising almost $500,000 dollars for cancer research,鈥� she wrote.
She said the event started humbly on East Tchesinkut Lake Road before moving to Francois Lake Hall in the early 1990s.
鈥淔or over 30 years we have held the event here and it has become a successful and heavily supported community event,鈥� she wrote.
In passing the torch, Carlson expressed her gratitude to all who鈥檝e helped.
"There are so many volunteers who have dedicated time and expertise to this fundraising event and I would like to thank them all."
