by Joe Barkovich, Scribbler-at-large
Captions: From left, Terry Fox with Bill Vigars in the background, photographed near French River by Gail Harvey; Welland’s Main Street Bridge (Bridge 13), photographed at 8:15 p.m., was illuminated in blue and red Sunday evening in honour of the Terry Fox Run; Bill Vigars.
WELLAND – Don’t let Bill Vigars hear you say Sunday was just another Terry Fox Run day.
The former Wellander who accompanied Fox for much of his Marathon of Hope in 1980 hopes the day will be forever revered as a remembrance of and tribute to Fox.
Vigars was director of public relations and fundraising for the Canadian Cancer Society’s Ontario division when Fox started out on his marathon. That good fortune brought the two together.
They first met when Fox was on the road in New Brunswick and then not long after when Vigars hooked up with the marathon outside Montreal. It was June 24, and Vigars remained part of the journey until its end at Thunder Bay, September 1, 1980. Not only was he public relations co-ordinator for the Marathon of Hope, but also a close friend and confidant of Fox.
“Maclean’s (magazine) referred to me as Wagon Master. Terry trusted me to use my background to spread his story.”
The experience has had lifelong impact on him, to the point where it was “assimilated” into his being long ago.
So on Sunday, when Welland residents assembled on Merritt Island, venue for the local run, and as Canadians in cities and towns and rural areas across this vast land gathered for their own local runs, Vigars was out doing the same in his neck of the woods.
I reached him as he was heading out to a run near his home in British Columbia, joining Terry Fox’s sister Judith, to participate as invited guest speakers.
In September 2021 he was at Welland’s Notre Dame high school – in a way.
He was featured in a video link presentation to students, sharing some of his memories and making a strong plea for them to be lifelong supporters of Fox’s dream. How did this come to be? Vigars said ND’s principal Andew Boon was a chum of his son Patrick – the two played soccer when they were boys – and their families had become close friends.
“I go to a different run every year. Been to China where there were 8,000 school kids running in Guangzhou, to plane hopping to three runs in one day in Maine.”
He turned to a quote from Fox when asked why fundraising is still important 40-plus years later: “I’m not a dreamer, and I’m not saying this will initiate any kind of definitive answer or cure to cancer, but I believe in miracles. I have to.”
Throwing in thoughts of own, Bill Vigars added: “There have been massive advances in defeating certain types of cancer, in providing longer survival times and improving quality of life. There’s a little bit of Terry in every Canadian. As much as raising funds for research it’s important that we pass his story on to every generation. He is an example of perseverance, courage, determination and proof that one person can make a difference, even change the world.”
THE DAY THE MARATHON OF HOPE VAN CAME TO WELLAND
Captions: Terry Fox shown on his Marathon of Hope with that iconic van behind him; Wellander Ray Bedard waiting for Fox to resume his run. (Supplied photos).
There are all kinds of stories from Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope. Some are well known, others not so. The following story was known by only a handful of people, said Bill Vigars.
It’s about the day the Marathon of Hope van came to Welland. Unannounced.
“No one knows this story other than Ray’s family and the neighbours,” according to Vigars.
Vigars and a friend, Ray Bedard, drove it here to show Bedard’s parents and brother. Fox was being flown to Niagara Falls and later to Toronto to watch a Blue Jays game. It was Saturday, July 12, 1980.
Vigars had invited Bedard to join the marathon on the highway for a while, which Bedard gladly did. Meeting Fox and getting to know him was one of the “best things that happened to me,” he said in a phone conversation on the weekend.
His brother, Marc, 14, was thrilled by the van’s visit to their Grange Avenue family home. It caused “quite a commotion” for the hour it was parked on the street, Bedard recalled.
Bedard said he knew nothing about Fox until Vigars invited him to come up and witness the run.
“I didn’t even know the guy existed,” he said.
But once he was with them and he watched Fox running along the highway in his unforgettable style, he knew he had become a lifelong admirer.
“You could tell that it hurt him, and it was painful just to watch. Talk about guts, Terry Fox had guts.”
Bedard said he won’t ever forget those days accompanying the Marathon of Hope, nor of course, Terry Fox.
“I have three pictures of Terry in my house. I see him every day.”
About Joe Barkovich: A former reporter and city editor at the Welland Tribune, Joe Barkovich now refers to himself as a “Scribbler-at-Large“. He shares his love of his Hometown of Welland Ontario on his From A Reporters Notebook Blog. We thank Joe for contributing Guest Posts to our myWelland.com Community Platform.
