Twelve years after Theresa Carriere started ONERUN to help others after their own battle with cancer, the fundraiser in London, Ontario is drawing to a close.
ONERUN estimates that a total of $1,769,097 has been raised since 2010 to support organizations including ChildCan, St Joseph’s Health Care and London Health Sciences Center Wellspring in supporting families affected by cancer.
Continue reading:
The 12th annual Cancer Run in London, Ontario has raised US$1.7 million since 2010
Carriere expressed regret for ending the initiative but said after 12 years it was time for her to move on.
“ONERUN will always be a big part of who we are as a family and we will never forget all those who have helped us along the way. But it’s time we passed the torch and see what else we can do for our community,” she said.
The story continues below the ad
The annual fundraiser encouraged participants to walk, run, bike, swim, rollerblade, or even skateboard 100 kilometers for a month to support the cause.
Looking back over the past 12 years, Carriere says that when she first survived cancer, she didn’t want to talk about it, but ultimately chose to do something to help others.
“I realized very quickly that[not talking about it]was kind of a selfish thing because people would come to me and ask me questions about how they could support their loved ones who had cancer. At first I just didn’t want to talk about it, then I decided… maybe my story will mean something to someone.”
1:44
The Calgary charity is offering an “amazing” event for families dealing with childhood cancer
previous video
next video
Carriere said she tried to think of a way to help, although she wasn’t very creative.
trending stories
-
Pizza delivery guy was hailed as a hero after rescuing 2 children and 3 teenagers from a house fire
-
Doctors say the healthcare system has “collapsed” as patient numbers drive emergency room closures
The story continues below the ad
“I knew I could walk and my sister lives in Sarnia and I thought it was 100 kilometers away. You know, a survivor, 100 kilometers, one day, that sounded kinda cool.”
After training and support, Carriere persevered through her first run and all others that would follow, becoming an annual movement encouraging people to do whatever they could for 100 kilometers.
Continue reading:
The national charity hopes to bridge the gap in pancreatic cancer treatment with a new accredited program
“ONERUN changed my life. I am so grateful to have been a part of the ONERUN message
Encouraging the next generation to never give up,” said Kayla Sibbald, Project Manager of the ONERUN school team.
For the past 12 years, Carriere has also worked to get children involved in the initiative, visiting at least 200 schools to spread awareness and get children active.
“I often doubted my abilities. I never doubted the strength of our team. We have great team members who made sure I didn’t lose sight of our goal,” said Carriere.
“I know that those dealing with cancer go through a lot of pain and I’m sure there are moments when they want to stop. I just wanted it to send a stronger message that despite the pain and fatigue, if we make an effort and keep surrounding ourselves with those who love us, we can reach that finish line.
The story continues below the ad
Next, Carriere said there are still many things she wants to do with her life, but she is thankful for everyone who has supported her along the way.
ONERUN encourages supporters to continue donating to local charities Wellspring and ChildCan.
directly supporting the families affected by cancer in our community through both programming and finances
Help.
5:13
Children with Cancer: “Camp Beat It”
previous video
next video
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
