The 2024 Terry Fox Run is coming up on September 15, marking the latest installment in a tradition that’s been running for over 40 years.
Since Terry Fox set off on his Marathon of Hope in 1980, countless everyday people from around the world have laced up to carry on the legacy, both in his memory and for anyone else who has been touched by cancer, directly or indirectly.
It’s a legacy that’s also carried on by the Terry Fox Foundation, a group that carries on Terry’s message, distributes donations to cancer research projects, and still sees the involvement of Terry’s family in the process.
That includes Terry’s older brother Fred, who still tours the world to talk about Terry’s story.
Fred sees Terry’s mission as simultaneously universal and fundamentally Canadian.
“I think Canadians saw a bit of themselves in Terry. That hard-working, committed, dedicated, honest, person. The integrity he had. They saw that Terry was running not for himself, not to benefit in any way, but to make a difference and help other people, I think that’s what still resonates with so many people today.”
That integrity is something the foundation has always carried with it.
‘I think in every conversation that we have as an organization, whether it’s those of us on the executive team or somebody running a provincial office, the first thing you think of is ‘What would Terry want, how would Terry do this?’ The Terry Fox Foundation is a very grassroots organization, it’s all about the people, young and old, who volunteer., We’re a volunteer organization, it wouldn’t exist without the thousands of volunteers who give their time every year. That’s what Terry was… That’s how the foundation operates today, based on Terry’s beliefs,” says Fred.
Over $850 million has been raised for cancer research through the foundation, a number that spans far beyond Terry’s initial goal, and has only been possible because of the continued support of people across the world.
Since 2007, the Terry Fox Research Insititute has been investing in research projects for over a dozen types of cancer and a wide assortment of treatments.
Red Deer and Wetaskiwin are among the countless locations hosting Terry Fox Runs around the world on September 15.
To those participating in their local run, Fred says the message hasn't changed in 44 years.
“This is what the Terry Fox run is all about, communities like Okotoks still holding their own runs for a number of years. I think they’ve had one since the late 1980s. Terry wanted us all to fundraise for cancer research, that’s always going to be the goal… We don’t have a set entry fee because Terry believed that it doesn’t matter how much you give, whether it’s a dollar or whatever it is, you can say you're part of the Marathon of Hope. Everyone is welcome and everyone is equal. Terry believed he was no better than anyone else. He didn’t care if he got the attention, he wanted it to go to cancer research.”