Paris Central tops $7K in Terry Fox fundraising

Ms. Sarkissian stands proudly with members of the Terry Fox Crew in front of Paris Central School, where students and staff came together to raise more than $7,200 for cancer research during this year’s Terry Fox Run.

Casandra Turnbull

Managing Editor

Students at Paris Central School laced up for Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope with record-breaking results this year, raising more than $7,000 for cancer research.

Principal Adam Walker said the school community set a goal of $6,400 but quickly surpassed it, ultimately collecting $7,278. With just 256 students enrolled, Walker said the achievement speaks volumes about the determination and generosity of the small school.

“Our school community has a long history of supporting the Terry Fox Run. This year was the strongest campaign yet,” he said. “Students were focused on achieving our goal. I don’t believe they realize just how remarkable it is given the size of our school.”

A group of student leaders, known as the “Terry Fox Crew,” helped fuel the campaign by leading assemblies, making daily announcements, and creating signage to build excitement. The crew also tracked and graphed class donations, helping to connect students to the school-wide goal.

On Sept. 25, the school hosted an assembly to celebrate student achievements before heading outside for the run itself. Students completed laps around the schoolyard and nearby park while parents cheered from the fence line. Together, the school community tallied the kilometres run in Terry’s honour.

Among the highlights was Grade 6 student Kai, the school’s top fundraiser, who raised more than $1,000 on his own. Kai has been part of the campaign since kindergarten and joined the Terry Fox Crew last year.

“A lot of my family has had cancer. If there was a cure for it, I would feel a lot better,” he said. “The run is not all about Terry Fox. He died of cancer. He has family that would want there to be a cure, just like I do. There are a lot of people who want a cure.”

Walker said the effort captured the essence of Terry’s legacy. “This campaign shows something we know to be true and that is Paris Central community is committed to making a positive impact both locally and globally.”

Staff leader Ms. Sarkissian added that the campaign reflects the school’s character: “There is a passion and an understanding in this community that we can ‘be like Terry’ in having an impact. The Terry Fox Crew gets the buzz going, and the excitement shows through in the results.”

Walker said the most inspiring moment was watching all 256 students running and walking together. “The excitement of students looking at the graph and watching our total grow, especially in the final days, was incredible,” he said. “The run truly brought our community together for a common purpose.”