Courtesy Regina Leader Post:
There isn’t any special event that would be complete without pictures and Chris Knox has many of those.

Knox, 24, has returned to Regina from a dream journey to watch his beloved Saskatchewan Roughriders play in the 95th Grey Cup against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The adventure for Knox and his family members reached another level when the Roughriders beat the Blue Bombers 23-19 on Sunday. Knox, who suffers from terminal brain cancer, was able to attend the Grey Cup through the generosity of Saskatchewan’s football fans.

At 11 p.m. on Sunday, Knox received a phone call from Mike McCullough, a Riders linebacker who had befriended Knox earlier in the season. McCullough asked if he and some fellow Riders could bring the Grey Cup to Knox’s hotel room in Toronto.

The result was a photo of Knox with the Grey Cup along with Riders Andy Fantuz, Marcus Crandell, Corey Grant and McCullough. Knox’s mother, Sharla Folk, was also included in the priceless photo.

“We just grabbed the Cup and went upstairs,” Grant said Wednesday while the Riders packed their belongings at Mosaic Stadium. “He couldn’t come downstairs so we brought the Cup to him. He was part of the victory and part of us getting there.”

The photo was a fitting tribute to what developed into a story about Saskatchewan’s heart when it comes to one its own. It started in mid-August when Knox was told that the cancer was inoperable and he had six months to live. Folk was looking for a way to boost her son’s spirits and thought that getting tickets to see the Roughriders play in the sold-out Labour Day Classic against the Blue Bombers might accomplish that.

Knox’s spirits improved and the story gathered more momentum. He was furnished with prime seats and was invited in the locker room after the Labour Day win. There are many pictures of the Roughriders celebrating the victory with a jubilant Knox in the middle.

The tale touched the hearts of Saskatchewanians. During the West final victory over the B.C. Lions, Strasbourg’s Kelly Schermann wondered if Chris would be able to make it to the Grey Cup. Without even knowing Knox or his family, Schermann started a fund-raising program that would clear all financial obstacles from Knox, his mother and nurse Leona Carvell from attending the game.

The venture grew to include Ron Knox, Chris’s father and girlfriend Beth MacArthur. It was expanded further to include 10 cancer-stricken youngsters from Regina and Saskatoon and 20 chaperones, who were all able to attend the Grey Cup and meet the Roughriders though the fund-raising efforts.

“It all started from asking for two tickets to a football game,” Sharla Folk marvelled Wednesday. “We just wanted something to take his mind off his disease for a while and it did. Then you have people from talk radio, the Leader-Post and TSN calling for interviews.”

Folk said Knox was initially relunctant to be in the spotlight but she convinced him it might be his time to let people know about his journey. It was also an opportunity to raise awareness that cancer isn’t a disease that attacks adults. There are also young people suffering from its effects. The fact that the children were able to make the trip added to Knox’s enjoyment.

Sharla and her husband, Kim Folk, hope that a legacy from Knox’s journey will be a fund for other sick children and their families to attend similar sporting events.

“It sure helped Christopher,” Sharla Folk said. “When he found out that he was going to the Grey Cup, his appetite increased and he vowed to get healthy. He’s still doing better because of the buzz going around.”

The prognosis hasn’t changed. Knox is in pallative care in his Regina home with family members and MacArthur, doing all they can to make him comfortable. Knox, though appreciative of that has taken place, has respectfully declined media interviews.

The Folks and Knox have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support since Schermann started the fund-raising venture. They appreciated Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall opening up the provincial government jet so Knox could fly to and from Toronto.

They appreciated all of the businesses and Riders who have contributed to Chris Knox fund to offset the expenses of the trip. They stressed how much it meant to them for Knox to be able to take the trip.

The Roughriders also wanted to thank Knox for his part.

“It was about doing something special for someone else,” Grant said. “Chris was going through a really tough time. The next best thing to seeing us win the Cup was Chris actually getting to hold it.”

Schermann said Wednesday that approximately $120,000 has been donated or pledged since the fundraising started. Schermman and Kelvington’s Trevor Lowery, who organized the cancer children making the trip, are still totalling expenses so the amount remaining in the fund has yet to be determined.

Schermann said that donations are still being accepted. People can donate at any Affinity Credit Union, or to the Chris Knox Fund, Box 73, Strasbourg, S0G 4V0.