Flashes of red and white could be seen through the glaring sunlight. We all patiently waited along the street as the elementary school kids rushed through the fence to join us. I smiled as my young dance students jumped around me, buzzing with excitement, before we set off on the path. Although this was a familiar routine, the pride emanating from the crowd was as strong as always, year after year. Proud to be Canadian, proud to be raising money for a good cause, and proud to be carrying on a legacy. It was time for the Terry Fox walk.

            As my friends and I took the small hands of the younger students, we headed up the steep hill.  The loud buzzing of the golf cart flew by us, its attached Canadian flags rippling in the wind. I felt a small and eager tug on my arm as the student holding my right hand proudly showed me her fake red maple leaf tattoo on her cheek. As we reached the park at the tip top of the hill, clapping and cheering rang out from the smiling faces of those who had come to show support. The thick leaves of the trees hanging over the path gave us some appreciated shade from the hot, late summer sun. Little legs rushed to keep up with the big ones, and I reflected on how long the walk used to seem when I too was young. A moment of nerves greeted me as it always has as 400 of us crossed the old bridge over the coolie. The clang of the metal filled the air with each footstep. As the crowd of us reached the nursing home we all cheered and waved at the residents waiting outside to greet us. Sadness hit my heart for a moment as I remembered how excited my great-grandmother used to be as I would race up to her from the crowd and give her a hug and a kiss. The residents waved their small Canadian flags through the air and I thought about how the pride in our country shone brightly in the faces of both the oldest and the youngest for our beautiful land of the true north strong and free. Finally, on the last section of our walk around town, main street and it’s towering old buildings we had seen countless times throughout our lives came into view. The police had blocked off traffic on the street so all of us could walk safely along the middle of it. Any sign of the hot and tiredness we all felt blew away like the prairie wind as the town cheered at our arrival. Stores completely cleared out as everyone rushed to the sidewalks to see us. Smiles widened seeing all the familiar faces of our small town gathered together. Heads held high, we all waved excitedly as we saw our own families gazing proudly at us.

            The reality of it being my last year of getting to walk for Terry and for Canada hit hard then. However, as I looked at the joyful youth surrounding me, I promised myself that I would always come cheer them on from the sidelines as my beloved town had always done for me. As we reached the elementary school to drop the young ones off, their arms wrapped around me in a farewell hug. They ran off and my friends and I all watched them go, seeing our younger selves in them. I knew my feelings were reflected in all of our minds as we slowly walked back to our high school, with our childhood now behind us and our future and the future of our country in front of us.