The Terry Fox Foundation admits it used fabricated quotes by fictitious people in a booklet sent to Saskatchewan donors. CBC

A former employee of the Terry Fox Foundation in Saskatchewan says he was forced to fabricate fundraising stories in a booklet for donors.

The booklet Gregory Procknow worked on before resigning earlier this year was sent to donors of the well-known charity, which raises money for cancer research.

Procknow says he was asked to do a series of short write-ups, ostensibly by donors, talking about creative ways they had raised money.

One quotes "Norma Rae" from Saskatoon: "As a dilettante canner, I make jars of jellies and pickles and attach a Terry Fox sticker to the jars, and I allow people to make donations of any kind and take away a wonderful autumn treat!"

Procknow, a University of Regina graduate student, said he felt bad about what he had written and eventually quit his summer job.

"Who can really take pride in creating fictitious people and assigning them a gender and a name and parlaying this to the public. It's just really disgusting," Procknow said.

Robert Barr, the director of the Saskatchewan office of the Terry Fox Foundation, confirmed he told Procknow to write the fundraising stories.

"The fundraising ideas outlined in our newsletter are based on events that supporters have used over time in various parts of the country," Barr said in a written statement. "I admit to an error in judgment in assigning first names to the ideas."

The booklet with the fake quotes went out to more than 1,000 people.

Dwight Wild got one at his business and said he would continue to donate, although he was disappointed.

"I think possibly it's a sign of inattentiveness or laziness rather than any ill will or intent," he said.