The annual Terry Fox Run “runs” in the family for Terry Fox, whose famous nephew, Terry Fox has inspired the annual Terry Fox Run for the past 37 years.
“I wouldn’t dare miss one,” said Terry Fox, who has been living in Lethbridge since 1977 and has been an integral part of the annual fundraising and awareness run in a fundraising and organizational capacity since it’s inception. This year‘s Terry Fox run is Sunday, Sept. 17 at noon at the Kiwanis Picnic Centre in Henderson Park.

The Terry Fox’s story is both inspiring and legendary. On April 12, 1980 Terry Fox began the Marathon of Hope, a run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. He covered 5,300 kilometres (3,339 miles) over 143 days before cancer returned and forced Terry to stop running on Sept. 1, 1980. Terry died on June 28, 1981.

 In addition to helping organize the run, Fox also speaks at local schools about the run and about his famous nephew.
“I wasn’t surprised he’d do it. People always called him stubborn, but I called him determined,” Fox reminisced.
“When he was diagnosed they didn’t have room for him in the adult ward, so they moved him to the kids ward. He was 17-18 years old and feeling sorry for himself until he met these kids and he stopped feeling sorry for himself. He was upset there was no funding for them,” he said.

“So he decided to run across Canada for cancer research. They’d moved to Prince George and his mom told him to just  run across B.C, he said he was going to run across Canada,” Fox related, noting the run has made a difference.
“When Terry was diagnosed with bone cancer, there was a 20 per cent of survival, and the only way to treat it was to take the leg or arm. They removed his leg, but unfortunately it had spread,” he said.

“Now there is an 80 per cent of survival and there is medicine,” said Fox, who can speak from experience as he is also a cancer survivor.
 Fox noted he always tries to beat his previous personal fundraising goal.

“My record is $395. There are a lot things to donate too, so a lot of my pledges are five or $10,” he said, adding every little bit helps.
“There are a lot of runs, but Terry started it all,” he said.
“In a few years, I may not be able to do the run any more. So I dare not miss one,” he said.
Evelyn Moman has enjoyed organizing the Lethbridge Terry Fox run for the past three years.

The Lethbridge Folk Club begins their season on Sept. 15 with a special performance by folk singer Garnet Rogers, the younger brother of Stan Rogers, who penned “Northwest Passage” among other hits before passing away in 1983  in an accident in an airplane fire at the young age of 33.

“Hopefully we’ll sell some more tickets. We‘ve sold 58, but we‘d like to sell 150,” said Lethbridge Folk Club president Morris Soenen, adding they have a diverse season planned including plenty of local acts, who will all be at the Lethbridge College Cave.

“Garnet’s played here many times, but it has been a few years. And we have Connie Kaldor on Oct 15. She’s also played Lethbridge times.”

Garnet Rogers is enjoying spending time with his wife semi- retirement and is looking at this Western tour  as likely his last.

“It’s a chance to say goodbye and shake hands and apologize to everybody I’ve offended,” said Rogers, running a few errands at home.
“I must have played Lethbridge about 20 times, but it‘s been 10 or 12 years,” he observed.

“ I’ve just been playing around Ontario for the past two or three years,” he said.
 He has been busy, not only playing, but also writing an extensive memoir about touring with his brother Stan.

“Before writing any new music, I embarked on another writing project`— A 700 page book called ‘Night Drive Travels With my Brother’ about  touring with Stan, he said.

“People have  their own ideas if who Stan was. I wanted to write the story of about life touring — encounters with the lunatic fringe, police, bikers. It’s the definitive story, he said.

“Because back then, when we were playing bars, people expected to hear songs they knew. Stan was determined to play original music,” he said, noting that lead to the occasional conflict.

“Stan was a large guy and I was smaller, but we had a lot of fear. That lead to a lot of aggression. But Stan and I always tried to do good,” he said.

Garnet Rogers’ memoir “Night Drive: Travels With my Brother” is a compelling read, even at 735 pages plus a few pages of photos at the end, and while Rogers advises in the introduction that you won’t want to read it all at once, I couldn’t put it down.

 It is a more or less chronological outline of the years Garnet Rogers spent touring with big brother Stan and a variety of bassists from playing “bear pits” and “shit holes” to either non-existent or outright hostile audience, right through finally getting a foothold in the Folk Club scene of the early ’80s. He jumps back and forth a little to focus on specific anecdotes about several folks and clubs.

 So if you ever thought a folk musician was a  sweet, sensitive, nondescript guy sitting on a stool in the corner, strumming an acoustic guitar and wearing his heart on his sleeve than think again.

It is an interesting week in live entertainment in Lethbridge, which is capped off by CKXU’s sixth annual Love and Records, Saturday, Sept. 16 in Galt Gardens.

 But, up first, A really busy Wednesday features the Windy City Opry at the Slice with local singer songwriter Dave McCann and  Peterborough, Ontario folk Duo the Mayhemingways. As usual it is an early show which begins at 8 p.m. Admission is $10.
 Irish crooner Daniel O’Donnell returns to the Enmax Centre, Sept. 13 as well at 7:30 p.m.. Tickets are $85, $75, $65 or with dinner at $105.25.

The Owl Acoustic Lounge features ambient art rock with Vancouver’s Douse  and local performers Wint and  Curtis Windover all playing.
 As usual, the weekend is a busy one.

 Kingston singer songwriter Tom Savage returns to Lethbridge to rock a Friday at the Slice with Roberts Hall.

 The Windy City Tattoo Weekend returns to Exhibition Park with over 100 Ink Masters, American mixed martial artist King Mo  and actor Robert LaSardo, stage shows by Guinness World record holders “Monsters of Schlock” international Pin up Models, Custom Motor Cycles, vendors , contests, beer gardens and much more.

Tickets are sold at the door for  $15 per day, $35 for the weekend and $25 in advance with 12 and under getting in for free.

Get your punk on with Toronto/ Hamilton punk duo Artificial Dissemination returning to the Moose Hall, Sept 15.

 For the opposite to that,  there is even a show in the basement of the old  firehall featuring electro-pop, synth and dance pop musicians,  Maude, Red lipstick Daydream and WITS an Oddbear. Admission is pay what you can.

 Local roots duo The Crooked Creek Warblers aka Gabriel Thaine and Chris Drew, play the Owl Acoustic Lounge, Sept. 15.

Kingston singer songwriter Tom Savage is excited to be back in Lethbridge next Friday, Sept. 15 at the Slice.
“ I’ve ’m still doing 200 gigs a year. I’ve played everywhere but Lethbridge, I’ve played, Butte, Calgary, Nanton. I just go where the gigs go,” he said,” taking a break from the road in Ignace in northern Ontario.
His new CD “Everything Intertwined” comes out on Oct. 3 and just released a video for the upbeat new single “Burnt by the Sun.”
 He last played Lethbridge in 2014.

“The last Cd was acoustic. This one is more electric, it’s pop rock, folk rock, blues rock, rock rock. It’s definitely not country.  I don’t really know how to describe it,” he said.
“I let the songs tell me what is needed. This CD has a more existential bent. I’m just thinking that way as a middle aged rock star guy,” Savage chuckled.

He recorded the CD with Rhodes/Hammond organist Tony Silvestri, drummer Bonz Bowering and bassist Seamus Cowan.
“We punched it out live off the floor in the spring and have been mixing it since then,” Savage said, adding a Gofundme campaign is helping cover costs of recording and promotion expenses.