GRFS youth once again came together in the spirit of service and community at the 2026 Kitchener Terry Fox Run, marking the fourth year that young volunteers from Grand River Friendship Society have contributed to this meaningful community event.
Through volunteering, connecting with participants, and representing GRFS at the event, our youth had another opportunity to experience the importance of community involvement while supporting the continuing legacy of Terry Fox and the collective effort to advance cancer research.
Four Years of Youth Volunteer Engagement
What began as an opportunity for young people to volunteer has grown into a meaningful annual tradition for GRFS youth.
This year, it was encouraging to see even more people participating, young volunteers becoming involved, and members of the wider Kitchener community coming together around a shared cause.
For GRFS, experiences such as the Terry Fox Run provide young people with opportunities to develop responsibility, communication, teamwork, and leadership while seeing first-hand how individual contributions can create a broader community impact.
Connecting With Our Community
GRFS also hosted a table at the event, creating an opportunity to connect with participants and share information about our youth initiatives, community programs, and upcoming projects.
We were grateful to welcome Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic and former Kitchener Centre Member of Parliament Mike Morrice to the GRFS table during the event. Mayor Vrbanovic continues to serve as Mayor of Kitchener, while Morrice represented Kitchener Centre in Parliament from 2021 to 2025.
Their visits provided an opportunity for our youth and volunteers to speak about some of the work taking place within GRFS and the ways young people are contributing to the community.
Do A Favour: Turning Ideas Into Action
The event also highlighted Do A Favour, a GRFS youth leadership initiative for students in Grades 6–12.
Do A Favour encourages young people to move beyond ideas and take meaningful action in their communities. Through volunteering, youth-led projects, service opportunities, and community engagement, participants strengthen leadership skills, build friendships, develop confidence, and learn the value of contributing to causes larger than themselves.
Participation in the Terry Fox Run reflects that philosophy in action: young people giving their time, working alongside others, and contributing to a longstanding Canadian community initiative.
Growing Through Service
Community service is an important part of youth development at GRFS. Experiences outside the classroom allow young people to meet new people, understand different community needs, and recognize the positive role they can play in the places where they live.
The Terry Fox Run continues to provide a particularly meaningful setting for that learning, bringing together people of different ages and backgrounds around hope, perseverance, and a shared commitment to supporting cancer research.
A sincere thank you to all of the GRFS youth, Do A Favour participants, mentors, and volunteers who contributed their time and energy to another memorable Kitchener Terry Fox Run.
We are proud to see our young people continuing to learn, serve, connect, and make a difference in their community.