A huge crowd of Kaohsiung residents took part in the 2004 Terry Fox Run in the southern port city of Kaohsiung yesterday to raise funds for cancer research.
The non-competitive, recreational run was organized by Kaohsiung Medical University (KMU). Kaohsiung City Deputy Mayor Yao Kao-chiao (
PHOTO: YANG CHING-CHING, TAIPEI TIMES
Many foreign expatriates also participated in the run through the city's major thoroughfares to show their support for the cause.
KMU President Wang said the annual Terry Fox Run is an international fundraiser aimed at encouraging cancer research.
Noting that the KMU is carrying out many innovative cancer treatment research programs, Wang said financial support from the Terry Fox Foundation has contributed much to the university's research work and has benefited many cancer patients.
Taiwan began to sponsor the annual Terry Fox Run in 1995. This year, the event will be held in four cities around the island -- Kaohsiung, Taipei, Taichung and Hualien. The Taipei run is scheduled for Oct. 31.
The annual Terry Fox Run commemorates Terry Fox, a Canadian track and field athlete who had his right leg amputated in 1977 at the age of 18 due to bone cancer. He managed to run across Canada with a prosthetic leg to raise funds for cancer research before dying of the cancer in 1981.
Despite his death, Fox's courage, perseverance and love spread around the world through his cross-Canada run. Nowadays, 8,000 cities in more than 50 countries around the world hold the Terry Fox Run annually to commemorate him and raise funds for cancer research.
In related news, the first Chinese marathon will be held on the outlying island of Penghu Sunday, with more than 4,600 Chinese runners from around the world participating.
Penghu County government said that there will be three divisions: a 42.2km marathon, a 10km race and a 3km race.
All three groups will depart from downtown Makung. The marathoners will run to the Cross-Sea Bridge, the longest inter-island bridge in the Far East, and then return.
Participants include Taiwan runners Wu Wen-chien (
Penghu County Tourism Bureau head Lin Yao-cheng (
Chi Cheng (
Chi said that although the cash prizes for the winners of the races are not very big, it is the spirit of the event that matters and that in the future the purse could increase. The races are expected to be held each year from now on, she added.
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
A drunk woman was sexually assaulted inside a crowded concourse of Taipei Railway Station on Thursday last week before a foreign tourist notified police, leading to calls for better education on bystander intervention and review of security infrastructure. The man, surnamed Chiu (邱), was taken into custody on charges of sexual assault, taking advantage of the woman’s condition and public indecency. Police discovered that Chiu was a fugitive with prior convictions for vehicle theft. He has been taken into custody and is to complete his unserved six-month sentence, police said. On Thursday last week, Chiu was seen wearing a white
EVA Airways, one of the leading international carriers in Taiwan, yesterday said that it was investigating reports that a cabin crew manager had ignored the condition of a sick flight attendant, who died on Saturday. The airline made the statement in response to a post circulating on social media that said that the flight attendant on an outbound flight was feeling sick and notified the cabin crew manager. Although the flight attendant grew increasingly ill on the return flight, the manager did not contact Medlink — a system that connects the aircraft to doctors on the ground for treatment advice during medical
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
RSS