Will Dwyer is a very ambitious man with a passion and determination unlike most you will meet.
The local war veteran has been committed to the same cause for decades and aims to reach his $1 million goal.
At 93, he is a self-sufficient guy. He drives himself to different parts of Barrie every day knocking on the doors of nearly every house along the way.
“I can’t walk more than three or four steps because I’m afraid I’m going to fall, on account of my bad leg,” said Dwyer.
The WWII veteran was inspired after watching Terry Fox run the Marathon of Hope on television back in 1980.
“I never met Terry, but I met his mom and dad and his brothers and sisters.”
Dwyer says that after losing his mother and many of his friends over the years to cancer, he decided to ramp up his efforts.
“I am hoping to raise a million dollars before I go.”
The scorching temperatures this summer have been an issue for the 93-year-old.
“It’s been a hot summer, yeah. I couldn’t do as much as last year. Last year I got $44-thousand, but this year I’m only gonna have about $32-thousand or something.”
With roughly $200-thousand to go before reaching his million-dollar dream, Dwyer says it's a difficult "job" to raise the money.
“If I don’t reach the goal, if I happen to pass away, my son Bob, my youngest son, he’s gonna make sure that I reach that million. And I’ll have to come up out of the grave and thank him.”
Anyone interested in donating to the Terry Fox Foundation in Will Dwyer’s name can do so here.
Dwyer plans to attend the Barrie Terry Fox run held at the waterfront on Sunday, September 16.
