HALIFAX -- A well-known fundraising effort for childhood cancer in Cape Breton is taking place virtually this year due to COVID-19.
Caleb’s Courage Superhero Walk, Run, & Fly was supposed to mark its 5th anniversary this year, but due to the ongoing pandemic, the event, at least in its usual form, had to be cancelled.
“It was really disappointing for me because it is literally my favourite event of the year,” said Caleb’s mother, Nicole Forgeron-MacArthur. “It’s a chance to celebrate these little superheroes and share their stories.”
Caleb’s Courage Superhero Walk, Run, & Fly event draws huge crowds of superheroes, big and small, to Petersfield Provicial Park in Westmount, N.S. every year.
The event began after the death of Caleb MacArthur who died from cancer in 2015, one month shy of his 4th birthday.
Now each year, people honour his memory by dressing up as their favourite superhero.
Instead of completely cancelling the fundraiser, the family decided to take it online, allowing people to walk, run or bike, wherever they want, whenever they want.
The online fundraiser is taking place throughout the month of September, and encourages everyone across Canada to participate.
Caleb’s parents have decked out their front lawn to commemorate the cause, and have committed to doing at least 10 kilometres each day, every day, for a total of at least 300 kilometres in the month of September.
“The meaning of that for me is, Caleb in his last year of life, at the age of three, spent at least 300 days in the hospital. Almost 300 children a year die of cancer in Canada,” said Nicole.
The month-long virtual fundraiser takes place during what is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
For Caleb’s dad, sharing his family’s experience with others in the community is what he misses most this year.
“For Nicole and I it’s always about building Caleb’s legacy,” said Caleb’s dad, Mike MacArthur. “Talking to people about him, telling them the impact he’s made on us and our family, and all of these kids, their own families have the same experiences.”
According to Caleb’s mom, so far this year, things are off to a bit of a slow start, but she’s hopeful things will pick up.
“People are getting on board, but I hope to see more over the next two weeks,” said Nicole.
Nicole says she has always felt her son’s presence at the big gatherings each year, and although things are different this time around, that’s one thing that hasn’t changed for her.
“He absolutely is. We feel him, Mike and I, with every walk that we take, that he’s there with us,” said Nicole.
