The first annual “Crusin’ for a Cure” 5K run will take place this Sunday, May 20, at 10 AM. The event, formerly known as the Terry Fox Run, will again raise money for the Yale Cancer Center in New Haven.

The Terry Fox Run’s namesake was the inspiring young man who ran across Canada after losing his leg to cancer. Starting on April 12th, 1980 he ran for 143 days and 3,339 miles before the cancer spread to his lungs and he was forced to stop. Fox died in 1981 at the age of 22.

In 2000, Choate students joined an international trend and organized the Terry Fox run, a 5K road race in honor of Terry’s memory for the members of the Choate community that benefited the Yale Cancer Center. The event became an annual tradition, and raised as much as $10,000.

However, in recent years, the attendance and proceeds of the run have declined. In response, the students coordinating the event, Fifth Formers Vivian Brodie ’08 and Sam Pape ’08, along with faculty adviser Mary Verselli of the Communications Office have decided to make several changes in order to reignite interest in the event, including changing its name.

“At the beginning, I think [Terry Fox’s] story was fresh in people’s minds and they remembered Terry himself,” said Verselli. “But by the time I became involved two years ago, the students running it realized they weren’t getting as much support and we wondered if Terry Fox’s story just wasn’t clicking as much.”

The name “Crusin’ for a Cure” was selected in order to encourage the less athletically gifted to participate.

“We chose ‘Crusin’’ because we don’t want people to feel like they have to run,” said Brodie. “They can walk. They can cruise. They don’t even have to do anything but show up.”

In addition to the new name, the run will also be staged from the Student Activity Center instead of the track, and participants will tackle the new Cross Country course instead of the road course used in previous years.

“We thought the SAC would just be a more comfortable place if people wanted to just hang out in the morning,” said Verselli.

The SAC will also provide shelter for the elements if necessary. Last year, what Verselli calls a “horrible horrible monsoon” resulted in few people making the trip up to the track, and even fewer actually running the course.

In order to further increase attendance, this year’s run has been scheduled for Reunion Weekend, which might encourage alumni to get involved. Other special preparations made this year include a short video and a Facebook.com website promoting the run.

The suggested donation for participation in the run is $15, and advance sign-ups are encouraged. Those who have not yet signed up are still able to do so at lunch today and at the SAC kiosk until the end of the Reggae Dance Saturday night.

Brodie is counting on the school community to support the event. “A lot of people on campus are directly affected by work they do at the Cancer Center,” she said. “Ms. Salot was treated there. The research they do there is so important and we’re hoping for a great turnout.”