As you know I have worked on the Terry Fox Run this
year.   To boost training and fundraising for the run I have asked
Guideline fitness to donate treadmills to the research centre-we have fun
challenges going on like pledges to see other people run and to train for the
run coming up on September 18^th, 2005.

Terry Fox ran 42 kilometres everyday for cancer research —how
far will you go for your co-workers, friends and family?

We have Jack Fm coming on Friday for a party and we will
be broadcasting live (community cruiser) on Friday, September 16 between 9 and
11 am if your available — listen in on what the research centre is doing to
highlight the run.

CTV has gotten wind of this and is now asking to do a story on
what is going on here ……

This year is the 25^th anniversary of the marathon of
hope..  (I will let everyone know when the broadcast will air)

My friends Carl, Julie and I are going to be a part of this walk
and if anyone would like to pledge us that would be wonderful- I would love to
challenge and showcase Carl’s athletic ability why don’t we put a
challenge on?

As Terry said in
1980:

“If you’ve
given a dollar, you are part of the Marathon of Hope.”

Pledges can be made online and you can put them under mine or
Carl’s name—of course tax receipts will be issued by the Terry Fox
Foundation.  Please just pick icon-donate to a participant.

Full names are Carl Sloane and Aislynn Drysdale of the BC Cancer
Agency  

here is the link

http://www.terryfoxrun.org/english/Corporate/Company/Information/default.asp?s=1&CompanyID=4456

Fighting Cancer: Rev. Candace Frank

Tuesday evening, I went to see Rev. Candace Frank in the hospital.  She's the wonderful minister for the 
Centre for Spiritual Living.  I love attending Sunday morning services and always get great hugs from her .

Last year, Candace paddled on the Centre for Spiritual Living/Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team. 
She had never ever paddled dragonboats before, but knew that I had created a "church dragon boat team"
before for the Celebration of Life Centre from 1997 to 2000.  It was a great experience, many members from
CSL came to paddle including Candace's husband Chip Frank, CSL president Ernie Letawsky and also 
his wife Judy Letawsky who was our special "ringer" - having paddled on the original Abreast in a Boat
dragon boat teams.  I did my best to listen to Rev. Candace's services and to integrate each Sunday's
messages into the dragon boat training program - since it is all about personal and performance enhancement
- whether the performance is personal, spiritual or physically paddling a dragon boat.

It has been wonderful developing friendships with Rev. Candace and her husband Chip.  She came to give the 
Selkirk Grace at my Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner in January - with her American accent!.  And in March, she 
wrote me a letter of support for a major award (I didn't get it), and she gave a grace for the inaugural GHFC 
St. Paddy's Day volunteer appreciation dinner.

Candace Frank is a person who fills a room with light, vivacious and loving..  She lives in the moment, and fills 
each moment with tremendous sense of spirit, inspiring all who come to know her.  I have been blessed to have 
her and her husband Chip in my life.  I know that we are both mutually in awe of each other, and the spiritual 
strength that resides in each of us.

This evening we did a prayer circle for Rev. Candace.   It's a blessing to see so many people in our congregation 
and to meet so many of her friends from her spiritual community across the USA - who are coming to see her.  
It takes a great person to inspire so many people, and build community into a large growing congregation.

As I met others gathered at the hospital many people commented on the brand new Terry Fox Run t-shirt I 
was wearing.  I explained that as a Terry's Team member cancer survivor, I had spoken that morning at an 
elementary school - giving words about overcoming adversity.  It was amazing that Ministers Rev. Jacob and 
Rev. Charles from Seattle and Los Angeles knew about Terry Fox, and were very excited recalling seeing a 
movie about Terry.  

Every year I stand up at Terry Fox Run sites, and thank the participants for supporting the Terry Fox Run.
I tell them that without the advances in cancer research made possible since Terry's 1980 Marathon of Hope,
I probably wouldn't be here today, having only been given a 50% chance of survival back in 1989.  Cancer 
touches the lives of so many of us.  We don't know why, and we often question why those close to us have to 
face this challenge.  It is very symbolic to start the day speaking about overcoming adversity in the face of 
cancer and Terry Fox at an elementary school, then to finish the day visiting a special friend in the hospital
who has been living with cancer for a long time.   Someone from whom, I have drawn my spiritual inspiration 
from when I have felt down and out of sorts... someone who's life is sharply threatened by cancer.

This year, I run and speak for my friend, Candace Frank.

Below are two pictues from the 2005 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner



Rev. Candace Frank reading the Selkirk Grace, to help bless the food for the 2005 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner.  
In the background are co-hosts, Tom Chin, Shelagh Rogers & Todd Wong - photo Ray Shum


Rev Candace Frank being "interviewed" by CBC Radio's Shelagh Rogers, just prior to reading 
a verse from the Robert Burns Poem "Address to a Haggis" - photo Ray Shum

I spoke at Sherwood Park elementary in Deep Cove today for their 2nd annual Terry Fox Run assembly.  I spoke there last year too.  The theme was "overcoming adversity" so I spoke about being able to control what you can, when life is out-of-control... I asked the kids if they had watched Peter Pan... and what does
Peter say when Tinkerbell sprinkles you with pixie dust?

Think Happy Thoughts!

And what happens... "You fly!"

We can only control our thoughts, and how we think - when we go through adversity.

Next I told the audience that I was going to share with them, something I had never told a group
before...

When I went to see my doctor, after five months of chemotherapy... and he told me that he was pronouncing me cancer free.  I was very happy... so happy that I felt like I could fly.

It was great to see the kids today, two spoke about Terry Fox and about his running shoe.  One holding the
new pair of Adidas Terry Fox shoes.  Two teachers also spoke about Terry, and what it means to go through adversity.  They also showed the film "I Am Terry Fox" - that I saw unveiled at the Canadian Mint celebration for the Terry Fox $1 coin.

Everybody has a dream.  In 1980, Terry Fox wanted to raise $1 from
every Canadian for cancer research.  But in 1976, when he
graduated from Port Coquitlam Secondary School, Terry's dream was to be
a member of  the SFU Varsity Basketball team. 

Terry was a walk on.  He just showed up, he wasn't an invited
scholarship athelete.  He wasn't a gifted athelete.  He was a
determined athelete.  And that is how he was named Port Coquitlam
athelete of the year, playing soccer and basketball for high school.

In 1993, I became a Terry's Team member – cancer survivors who are
living testament that cancer research makes a difference.  Terry's
youngest brother Darrell challenged me to start a Terry Fox Run that
September at SFU.  I got to know the SFU Atheletic Director, and
the very first SFU Terry Fox Day was planned for the following year in
1994.  Along the way I met Stan Stewardson, Terry's former SFU
basketball coach. 

Stan showed me Terry's jersey that he had saved.  And I told him
that for 1994, Terry's SFU jersey for the 1000 mile club was being put
on display at SFU.  That sparked the idea that Terry's basketball
jersey could be on display at SFU.  Over the years I informed the
athletic and recreation directors at SFU, that Terry's basketball
jersey was in Stan's good hands, and that it would be a good idea to
put it on display and to retire the number.  Over the years, I was
told things like Terry had only been a member of the Junior Varsity
team, and that he hadn't been a starting or outstanding ball player.

But this week, the extraordinary happened.  I read in the
Vancouver Sun newspaper yesterday that Terry's basketball jersey was
retired.  Number Six.  Stan presented it to SFU for the 25th
Anniversary of the Terry Fox Run.  Dreams do come true, and they
happen all the time.

The Terry Fox $1 Coin, and me at SFU beside the Terry Fox  statue
on the day of the coin release, with Darrell Fox beside coin display at
SFU.