Most mornings in Campbell River, you will see 76-year-old Doug Vater journey along the city鈥檚 Seawalk.
People will often stop and speak with him on those sometimes dull and dreary because his t-shirt catches their eye.
Emblazoned on it is Terry Fox, the champion of cancer research who famously attempted to run coast to coast across Canada in 1980 to raise money for the cause.
For Vater, Fox was not just a national hero, he was a man of incredible humility, and for that crucial period, a companion in his Marathon of Hope.
鈥淲hen he stopped his run, we鈥檇 bring in literally garbage bags of mail into the Fox home,鈥� said Vater. 鈥淭he letter opener we got was an industrial sized one. I opened one letter, and it said 鈥楾o Terry Fox only鈥�. It was a cheque for $2,500. I handed it to Terry. He looked at it and said 鈥榮end it back. It only goes to cancer research.鈥欌��
Vater first crossed paths with the Fox family in 1980, when he was the vice-president of the Port Coquitlam-Port Moody Chamber of Commerce (now the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce). Fox won the organization鈥檚 athlete of the year award in 1980. A few months later, Fox began his historic run with a goal of $1 dollar for every Canadian at the time going toward cancer research.
Vater was in his car, heading to meetings in Vancouver when he heard about Fox鈥檚 mission.
鈥淚 thought, I had to get involved in some way,鈥� said Vater.
Get involved Vater did. Inspired by a trip back to his native Newfoundland, he returned to Port Coquitlam with a simple mission: for Port Coquitlam to know Terry鈥檚 objective, and to let Fox know that his hometown was behind him as well.
鈥淲hen I went back east, to see the excitement that was happening there,鈥� said Vater. 鈥淭here was no excitement around Port Coquitlam. We鈥檇 hear news, but the excitement in the east was phenomenal.鈥�
Approaching the Cancer Society, Vater didn鈥檛 think about donations and fundraising. But, thrust into the position, Vater set a goal with city council and the Cancer Society of $100,000.
鈥淰olunteers came from everywhere,鈥� said Vater. 鈥淭he city got involved, businesses from around got involved. There was no Facebook back then.鈥�
The second goal Vater had stemming from his philanthropic efforts was that he wanted to join Terry on his trek. He managed to meet up with the 鈥淢arathon of Hope鈥� entourage just east of Terrace Bay,Ont., just one week before Fox had to stop his run in Thunder Bay. The bone cancer had spread to his lungs.
Fox鈥檚 goal of $1 for each Canadian had been raised by Feb. 1981. Fox passed away that June.
鈥淵ou could tell that something was wrong,鈥� said Vater about that final week. 鈥淗e was tense.鈥�
Forty-three years later, Vater says that he feels Fox would be in awe of the global phenomenon the Terry Fox Run has become.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think Terry even knew what he started,鈥� said Vater. 鈥淭hat just speaks to how humble he was.鈥�
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