By Pam Wright
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Eddie Hawken is a big fan of Terry Fox.
So when the Grade 4 student turned nine Sunday – the same day as Dresden’s 41st annual Terry Fox Run – he asked for donations, rather than presents for himself.
“I just thought it was a good idea,” Hawken said, adding he did it in part to honour his grandpa Ed Grison who is a cancer survivor.
Eddie set his original goal at $200 but the ambitious youngster ended up raising $1,800 for cancer research.
Jon and Ginny Hawken said they are both extremely proud of their son.
“He’s got a really big heart and I’m proud he chose to do this,” Ginny said. “We always tell him to reach for the stars.”
According to his mom – who had Eddie’s goal set on her Social Media – her “techie” son kept going in and changing the number.
He only decided two weeks before his birthday to focus on the run, and organizers quickly stepped up with all the gear, including T-shirts and flags from past Terry Fox events in Dresden.
The Hawken home was a lively place on the weekend. The birthday boy was joined by four of his friends for a sleepover in a backyard tree house decked out in Terry Fox memorabilia.
The Dresden Area Central School student even had a visit from his teacher Anne Cowan to mark the milestone.
The kids and Eddie’s older sister Mallory, 11, topped off the birthday bash by riding bikes through the Dresden route in the afternoon.
According to organizer Meg Robinson, this year’s run, as of Sunday evening, had raised $26,000, but donations are still coming in.
