海角社区官网

But the 海角社区官网man did not expect his final run Friday to have so much fanfare.

As De Lorenzi came up to the red-ribbon finish line in Regent Park, he was greeted by bugle horns, tambourines and cheers from family, friends and supporters who came out to celebrate.

The whole time De Lorenzi had a smile on his face.

With a single step Friday, De Lorenzi finished a goal over three years and more than 7,000 kilometres in the making.

Since August 2022, De Lorenzi has been on a mission to run every street (including laneways) in 海角社区官网鈥� a goal he set because he likes a challenge and was growing tired of the same scenery on his morning jogs around his home in midtown.

For nearly three years, he hopped on the TTC five to six times a week to a new neighbourhood for a morning jog. He also had an objective聽 鈥� for the Community Music Schools of 海角社区官网(CMST), a charity that provides music and general skills training to kids ages four to 18 in Regent Park and Jane and Finch. He ended up nearly doubling that goal by Friday.

He chose CMST because of a lifelong love of music instilled by his Italian immigrant parents.

By May of this year, De Lorenzi had run on more than 9,800 streets and raised over $8,000 for his 鈥淭akin鈥� it to the Streets鈥� campaign,聽with hopes of completing his goal by the three-year anniversary in August.聽

But things changed that month when he was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer with a prognosis of one to two years, after an emergency trip to Sunnybrook hospital.聽

The cancer diagnosis was only a short detour on De Lorenzi’s journey.

When he first spoke with the Star in July, he was already back out on the streets after completing his first round of chemotherapy, and was planning to finish his goal only one month behind schedule in September.

Two and a half months later, De Lorenzi is still feeling good after another round of treatment 鈥� “I’ve been poked and prodded for quite a few months now,” he said lightheartedly Thursday,聽on the eve of his final run. He has continued to go on runs, occasionally joined by supportive runners, cyclists and even Mayor Olivia Chow earlier this month.

“It’s just been phenomenal 鈥� the support that I’ve received and just the compassion that people have had for me,” De Lorenzi said, giving his wife Judy a special callout. “I think it goes to show that there’s a lot of good in this town.”

De Lorenzi’s supporters were out in force on Friday, with people holding signs and cheering at the finish line. Faculty from the CMST played instruments as De Lorenzi, along with a group of seven, crossed the finish line.

“I’m just honoured to cheer him on,” Richard Marsella, the executive director of CMST, said ahead of Friday’s event.

The director says the fundraising will go to support several students with a year’s worth of music lessons.

“It’s just brilliant,” Marsella continued. “This is going to be one of those moments that sits in our memories forever.”

The event included a performance of the Doobie Brothers hit “Takin’ it to the Streets’ 鈥� played by De Lorenzi on keyboard and the CMST faculty 鈥� and an unveiling of a plaque for the new “Carlo Music Room” dedicated to the runner.

“It blew me away,” De Lorenzi told the Star. “I was not expecting any of this.”

In the audience, Judy pulled out tissues.

“When he first told me ... I rolled my eyes,” she said. But as Judy drove her husband to his last few runs over the past several weeks, she began to understand why De Lorenzi made his goal as she realized all the streets they passed that he’d run along.

De Lorenzi said he’s not going to stop running.

After a couple days of rest, he plans to lace up his trusty black-and-purple Asics again and jog around his neighbourhood 鈥� an area he’s started missing since starting his mission three years ago.

“I’m just going to go out with the running shoes and that’s it,” he said. “Just me and nature and the city.”