Greeted by the cheers of a crowd in the thousands, Rob Ford made his first public speech since his hospitalization on Saturday evening, at a Ford Fest barbecue in Etobicoke postponed by his cancer diagnosis.
Looking pale and bleary-eyed after chemotherapy treatments last week, Mayor Ford walked slowly onto the stage as the audience erupted.
"Folks, I am so thankful. I am so heartened by the support that you've given me," he told listeners.
His wife, Renata, two young children and mother Diane stood behind him, the two women smiling. At one point his son reached out and pulled at his father's jacket, then hid behind Ford as he spoke.
Ford said he had to take "a bit of a break," but that didn't mean he was out of the race.
"When you're down and out, folks — I think we've all been there. Every single person has had personal problems in life," he said, his voice becoming raspy. "You find out who your real friends are."
Carlos Osorio/ The Toronto Star
Rob Ford with his daughter Stephanie during Ford Fest in Etobicoke on September 27, 2014.
Chris Young/The Canadian Press
Doug Ford greets the crowd after being endorsed by his brother Toronto Mayor Rob Ford at Ford Fest.
Accompanied by Tom Petty's hit "I Won't Back Down," Ford said he conquered his substance abuse problems after the crack cocaine scandal, and will conquer his cancer as well.
"Go tell cancer that I'm going to put him where I put that guy in the mirror three months ago," he said.
He thanked his supporters and family and referred to his brother, Doug Ford, as the "next mayor of Toronto."
"You know folks, he just gets out of the hospital a couple days ago and he comes here to see all of us," Doug said later, as he replaced his younger brother at the microphone. He attempted to burnish his ordinary-guy persona by talking about his early years delivering newspapers, labouring "on the plant floor" and working his way up — as well as reiterating Rob's comments about support for subways. He concluded by saying he wouldn't let his brother down.
Carlos Osorio / The Canadian Press
At the event, held on a grassy area beside a Sears outlet mall parking lot, attendees waited in lines hundreds of people long for free burgers and pop.
Supporters sported t-shirts reading "Ford Mayor 2014" on the front and "Stop the Cash Grab" in a red stop sign on the back.
Chris Young / The Canadian Press
Bobbleheads of Mayor Ford, one a Hollywood version of him wearing a tuxedo and the other of him as he appeared on Jimmy Kimmel's late night talk show at the height of the crack scandal — wearing a black suit, black shirt and red tie — were sold for $30 each.
Chris Young / The Canadian Press
Members of the crowd wait to greet Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and his brother Doug Ford at Ford Fest.
Chris Young / The Canadian Press
Chris Young/The Toronto Star
Ford supporters told the Star they feel the brothers are one and the same politically; many said they would support either for mayor.
"If it's not Rob Ford, it's Doug Ford. If it's not Doug Ford, it's the nephew Ford. If it's not the nephew Ford it's the Ford family," said Camille Campbell, who attended Ford Fest with her four children.
The Fords played a hasty game of musical chairs after Rob Ford's hospitalization, with Rob resigning from the mayoral race, Doug taking his place and Michael switching from the Ward 2 council race to the trustee race to make way for Rob to run for councillor instead.
Rob Ford showed up at 7:30 p.m., but the crowd was told he would not be shaking hands. "Germs are not going to be a good thing for the mayor right now," said his chief of staff, Dan Jacobs.
He'd spent time the previous evening campaigning door-to-door in Etobicoke, where he hopes to regain the Ward 2 council seat he held before being elected mayor.
There were a few tense moments throughout the event but no protests, as there were at the summer Ford Fest.
With a file from The Canadian Press
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