A former Red Deer College student has an ambitious plan for the new year — to start running across Canada in April to raise money for cancer research.
Curtis Hargrove, 22, said the cross-country trek is something he’s wanted to do ever since he ran from Cold Lake to Port Coquitlam, B.C., in 2007 in honour of his grandfather, who had just been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
He raised $50,000 for the Terry Fox Foundation, an organization his grandfather (who completed treatment and is healthy today) supported annually by participating in the Terry Fox Run.
Hargrove now wants to trace the footprints of one of his idols, Terry Fox, to raise money for the foundation.
“I’m just trying to help continue the dream,” he said.
“I’m just running.
“The people who are actually doing things are the people who are donating.”
The Cold Lake native will move back to Red Deer early in January to start training for the long-distance run.
Hargrove studied kinesiology at Red Deer College in 2008 before returning home to Northern Alberta to work in the oilfield.
Hargrove and his uncle are still trying to determine a route but the plan is to start in Newfoundland on April 1. It’s the same province and month that Fox began his Marathon of Hope in 1980.
Hargrove wants to cover 50 km a day, and he would like to run through his hometown and Red Deer.
He anticipates it will take him six months to reach the West Coast.
He has also set a lofty fundraising goal of $1 million.
“Since I’m doing all of Canada, I have bigger expectations.”
Hargrove — who ran cross-country and played sports all through school — will create a Facebook page to help promote his cross-country journey.
ptrotter@www.reddeeradvocate.com