This Sunday marks the 40th anniversary of the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope and a young Kamloopsian is the national school ambassador for the school runs this year.

Cai McLean is just six years old and has been battling cancer since he was 11 months old.

Local run organizer Andrea McCurrach says he hosted an ice-tea stand with the goal of raising $600 in honour of his 6th birthday and he has ended up raising more than $6,000.

“He has a chemo regimen of twice a day and has to fast six hour in between there. But, he’s got such amazing spirit and Terry Fox is absolutely his hero and every year on his birthday, which happens to be [September 17] he always raises money for Terry Fox.”

“His iced tea stand will be up and running on run day this Sunday, September 20th at 2471 Briarwood Avenue from 1:00 to 2:30. And Cai will be there serving up iced tea and accepting donations for Terry Fox. COVID precautions in place of course.”

This year’s Terry Fox run is going virtual. McCurrach says the virtual run is being called one day your way. “So we’re just trying to get the word out and encourage people that they can still register for the run and then on Sunday to go out and honour Terry by doing your favourite hike or walk or bike-ride or even do a dance and take some pictures and upload it to social media with #TryLikeTerry and we can all see how everybody is celebrating this great Canadian hero together. Apart, but together.”

You can donate online through terryfox.org.

McCurrach hopes that next year, we will all be able to once again get together and do the run in person and celebrate Terry’s legacy.