He may not be “much of a runner,” but it’s unlikely the people behind Richmond’s Terry Fox Run will care if Howard Jampolsky wears Nike or Adidas.
After reading in the Richmond Newshow the annual charity fun run was in jeopardy unless a new event coordinator stepped up, local businessman Jampolsky has offered to help.
Despite admitting he rarely runs and keeps fit in other ways, Jampolsky told the Newshow he couldn’t stand back and see the September event fold.
“I just thought it would be a real shame for this event not to continue,” said Richmond resident Jampolsky, who juggles his day job as an executive director of the Schara Tzedeck Jewish congregation in Vancouver with his role on the YVR board of directors.
“(The event has) a really dedicated team of volunteers and all they needed was someone to pull it all together.”
Jampolsky, who has run unsuccessfully for both city council in 2008 and for the federal Conservative Party nomination in Richmond in 2011, said he’s already had a chat with the event’s past coordinator, John Young, to get a feel for the role.
“I talked to John a short time the other day and I’ll be meeting with him and talking at greater length in the middle of the month,” added Jampolsky.
“I’ve already given it a little thought about how to make the event a bit bigger and better.
“It’s very grass roots level and I know the Terry Fox organization is sticky about corporate sponsorship. But just because the corporate sponsor doesn’t get any recognition, doesn’t mean we can’t ask them for help.”
Thinking out loud, Jampolsky said he might look for some corporate help by getting some kind of memento for the event’s 150 or so volunteers.
“I’ll be trying to find ways to get the corporate community more involved without breaking any rules,” he said.
“This is a great organization that’s done a hell of a lot of good and I’m happy to help out.”
Young, after warning last week that event would have to be cancelled if a new coordinator couldn’t be found, said he was extremely delighted to get a response so quickly and to get someone of Jampolsky’s caliber.
“I didn’t pull the wool over his eyes at all, I told him straight up that there are a ton of things for the coordinator to do,” Young said.
“But he has management and fundraising experience and he said he’d love to give it a try.”
Since its inception in 2003, Richmond’s version of the fun run in Terry Fox’s memory has grown in size and stature every year, raising more than $200,000 for cancer research.
But after Young, the event’s co-coordinator of 10 years, stepped down due to health in 2012, and last year’s head honcho, Susan Bernardino, had to step aside due to other commitments, no one had come forward to take the reins.
Terry Fox Runs take place in September every year, raising money for charity. Richmond’s takes place at Garry Point Park.
