Honoring courage and meeting great people

It is not everyday that you get the opportunity to meet people who make a difference and allow you to become energized about what they do, but about what you can do as well. I had the great honor of reaching down into my Canadian roots and meeting such individuals recently. In working with the Canadian Expat Network (a great site for Canadian news and content outside of Canada) and president Sean Mitton, the first-ever Terry Fox Run will be held in North Carolina on Sunday, September 12 at NC State University's Centennial Campus. It is an honor to be able to have a part in operating this first-time event, but the most gratifying part of it all has been in getting to meet some great people involved with it.

Judith Fox-Alder, Executive Director of the Terry Fox Foundation, is in Raleigh to help kick-off the Terry Fox Run in Raleigh. Through the hard work and efforts of Sean, Judith's trip to the area has allowed me to get the opportunity to meet a person who is working hard to carry on the legacy of a great Canadian and her brother, Terry Fox. In meeting Judi and watching how she maintains the ability to champion her brother's cause and managing the emotional impact of doing so every day, I witness the persona of someone who can truly take things in stride in managing a multi-million dollar foundation, and a busy family life.

In addition to meeting Judi, I also had the opportunity to meet Mark Demontis, a legally blind hockey player and founder of Courage Canada, an organization devoted to creating programs to teach visually-impaired individuals the skills of hockey. Mark has put together a truly great cause and program to maintain his love of hockey and share it with others who may not get the opportunity to do so. Mark will also be at the Terry Fox Run on Sunday as he is a strong supporter of the event and cause, as many are.

We'll all be there on Sunday, September 12, 2010 for the first-ever Terry Fox Run in Raleigh, NC on the NC State University Centennial Campus. Registration begins at 8 am and the non-competitive run/walk begins at 9 am.