Acts of Charity

What is the Charity of the Year?

The Charity of the Year is a non-political cause close to the hearts of Centreville Voice, and/or our patrons, or one that does a significant amount of good for people in various parts of the world where charity is needed most.  Charities and/or foundations that we choose are those that are typically known to do good, by means of helping the poor, sick, needy, homeless, and/or destitute. These charities can also help efforts that are good for the environment and wildlife, or even help those going through a time of crisis that can be alleviated in an objectively positive way.


Every year, Centreville Voice selects a charity, foundation, or charitable cause along the aforementioned requirements as its Charity of the Year.  It is to this selected charity, foundation, or charitable cause that we provide 10% of all our Patreon support donations for that year.  Donations are sent to the selected charity during the last full week of December, before New Year's Eve.

This Year (2021)

If you are Canadian, then you have likely heard of Terry Fox.  A great Canadian who strove to run across Canada with only one good leg, and one prosthetic leg.


Born on July 28th 1958, Terry  Stanley Fox was a young man who was great in both athletics and academics.  However, on March 9th, 1977, he discovered he had a malignant tumour in his right leg.  Because of this, his right leg needed to be amputated.  Despite his disability, in February 1979, Terry Fox began training to run a marathon across Canada, from the Eastern Coast to the Western Coast, in order to raise money for Cancer Research.


On September 1st, 1980, after 143 days and 5,373 kilometers (3,339 miles), Terry stopped running outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario; his primary cancer had spread to his lungs. Before returning to British Colombia for treatment Terry said, “I’m gonna do my very best. I’ll fight. I promise I won’t give up.”  On June 28th, 1981, after treatment with chemotherapy and interferon, Terry Fox died at Royal Columbian Hospital, New Westminster, British Columbia – one month short of his twenty-third birthday.  However, that was not before Terry’s hope of raising $1 from every Canadian to fight cancer is realized. On February 1, 1981, the Canadian national population reached 24.1 million, and the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope fund totaled $24.17 million (CAD), thanks in part to the efforts of others who picked up where Terry Fox left off.

Terry Fox - Marathon of Hope
Terry Fox and his circumstances really hit home with us at Centreville Voice, as we have two people here who have faced, or are facing similar afflictions. Carlo is a cancer survivor.  Desmond's right leg is affected by neurological condition that causes neuropathy, muscle atrophy, and poor motor control of his right leg, with extremely poor motor control in his lower-right leg.  It is because of this, that we have chosen the Terry Fox Foundation as our very first Charity of the Year.