The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, October 3, 2014 | 10 Teen takes Terry Fox tradition to Harvard by Bob Mitchell Real People with Real Stories and Real Needs Susan's Story Susan (not her real name) had been told she would never amount to anything, could never survive on her own, and would never be brave enough to leave, but after 22 years in an abusive marriage, she had reached her limit. Scared and alone, with nothing but a suitcase of clothing and a bit of money, Susan left her home in the Maritimes to stay with aging relatives in Oakville. Not wanting to take advantage of their generosity for too long, she set out to find a place to live. Worried that her age, health, and circumstances would hinder her dream of finishing her Master's degree and finding employment, she could only hope that someone knew how to help. Directed by her social worker, she found her way to Kerr Street Ministries (KSM), for real, practical assistance. Before the end of the year, through KSM, Susan was connected with a lawyer, found roommates to share an apartment, was given assistance to apply for school and bursaries, began relearning computer skills and updating her resume, and was providedwithalaptopto complete her schoolwork. Now Susan has begun giving back to the community by volunteering at KSM and using the skills she acquired and learned at school. It is exciting to see how Susan's situation has improved. We are so thankful that we could be here to help in her time of need. YOUR NEIGHBOUR Special to the Beaver As a proud Canadian, Oakville's Dylan Munro has continually spread the Canuck culture to Harvard students as an executive of the prestigious American university's Canadian Club. From holding poutine nights to celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving, the 20-year-old thirdyear undergraduate student is always looking for unique ways to showcase his country, But perhaps his best idea -- and one he hopes will continue to grow long after he graduates -- is staging a Terry Fox run. Nearly $3,000 was raised on Sept. 28 in the inaugural event that saw nearly 100 people run and walk the 2.5-kilometre route along the banks of the Charles River near the Harvard campus in Cambridge, Mass. "Everybody I talked to who wasn't a Canadian had never heard of Terry Fox, so it was really cool to see the look on their faces when they heard his story," said Munro, who is studying applied math and physics at Harvard. "His story inspired them and everybody who participated in the event was really enthusiastic to be part of it. "Terry Fox is not only a great Canadian hero, he's a global hero. It's incredible to think he ran the equivalent of a marathon every day, rain or shine, for 143 days with only four days off. "People were blown away by what he accomplished. His story really touched a lot of Oakville's Dylan Munro, right, and Justin Oliver, of Toronto, treasurer of the Harvard Canadian Club, organized the inaugural Terry Fox Run at Harvard University, where many students were not familiar with the Canadian hero. | submitted photo people. Many people can relate to his struggles because a lot of people know or have relatives, who have had cancer. His story hit home. They took it to heart and wanted to support the run." In 1980, Fox, who had his right leg amputated when he was 18, decided to run across Canada, from the Atlantic to the Pacific in order to raise money and awareness for cancer research. He called this run the Marathon of Hope, and As seen on CityLine & HGTV Please consider making a monthly donation to help KSM continue providing the essential support and assistance for our neighbours in need. your indoor/outdoor metal, wicker and wood furniture, doors, cupboards and collectibles. of 10% Off Custom Black for the month #1A-1254 Plains Rd. E., Burlington RE-USE RECYCLE REFURBISH CONTACT US TODAY!! October www.paintitlikenew.com 2917 Lakeshore Blvd. West, Etobicoke 485 Kerr Street · Oakville ON L6K 3C6 905-845-7485 www.kerrstreet.com 905-631-REDO (7336) 416-259-7549 Showroom open 10:00-5:00 Monday-Saturday his goal was to raise $1 from every Canadian citizen. He had to end his run when his cancer resurfaced about halfway through Ontario. The legendary Canadian icon never completed his journey, but each year communities across Canada hold runs. In the past 34 years, more than $600 million has been raised in his name for cancer research. The Harvard run was one of only four events in the U.S. (New York, Colorado, Washington D.C.) and the only school to host a run. "In future years, we hope to involve other schools in the area and perhaps even expand it into the Boston area," said Munro, who began organizing the event while studying archaeology and Scandinavian literature in Denmark this past summer. Munro has been involved in cancer charity work since his teens as a student at White Oaks High School. His aunt Kathy is a breast cancer survivor and at 14 he and his mother and aunt participated in a Run for the Cure event in Burlington. Musically inclined, Munro wrote and performed his own song Pink named after the colour of the cancer ribbon at the opening ceremonies of the event the next year. He later performed at a charity concert he organized at Sheridan College, an event headlined by Rik Emmet of Triumph. Munro said the Canadian Club of Harvard is planning on staging a Commonwealth Games event for students from various Commonwealth countries on campus in the spring. Last year, they had a private lunch with Canadian writer Margaret Atwood, who was at Harvard to receive an award. see U.S. on p.15