Melissa Predote, one of the co-ordinators of the fundraiser, said the shoes would allow the kids to make the connection to Fox. She also said the students were collecting pledges.

In the last seven years, W.E. Brown has raised almost $10,000 for the Terry Fox Foundation.

To kick off their run, the school invited Nancy Salvage from the national organization to speak to students at an assembly.

Students from junior kindergarten through Grade 8 participated in a 15- to 20-minute walk around their field. They also watched videos, including "I am Terry," a video that provides historical background and also features kids explaining why the Terry Fox run is so important.

"They watched the videos to understand why they are continuing in Terry's footsteps," said Predote.

Grade 7 student Serena Thomas said participating in the Terry Fox Run was important to her.

"There are so many cancers around the world today," said Thomas. "It's important to find a cure. The Terry Fox Foundation can find a cure."

Grade 4 student Brett Hubert said it's important to participate in the run because of what Fox did.

"So we can do what Terry Fox has done for all of us," said Hubert.