Prince George, B.C. – The new Terry Fox statue will be unveiled at 11:00am on July 28, 2008 at Community Foundation Park.

 

The statue had been vandalized a year ago ( see photo at right)

 

Nathan Scott, the artist of the statue, was able to cast the exact statue as he kept the original mold. 

 

Additions to the statue now include a 3.5 foot tall pedestal, a light and vegetation around the sculpture.

 

 Doug Hofstede, Community Services Coordinator for the City of Prince George says he hopes the new additions will deter further vandalism, “Our original statue was not on a pedestal because we were trying to represent Terry Fox’s modest nature, however, we are now trying to take precautions to preserve it." Nathan Scott has also used a bronze impregnated fiberglass, which creates the patina unique to bronze. "Bronze statues are being stolen for scrap metal in other municipalities and the committee felt this material would help deter that type of vandalism.”

 

The cost to replace the statue was approximately $25,000.  The merchants of Pine Centre, Spruceland Mall and Honda North contributed $5,000 each, and donations from various other individuals and City Council covered the rest. 

 

July 28, 2008 holds sentimental value as it would have been Terry Fox’s 50^th birthday.

 

The location of the statue also marks the spot of the starting point for the Prince George to Boston Marathon (now the Labour Day Classic) in 1979 which was a test run before his Marathon of Hope. Terry publicly announced his intentions during his appearance in Prince George. 

 

His legacy continues in the fundraising in his name for cancer research. To date, more than $400 million has been raised worldwide for cancer research through the annual Terry Fox Run, held across Canada and around the world.