Strathmore runners will step out for a cause during the Terry Fox Run on Sunday (Sept. 15).
This year's event marks the 27th annual run in Strathmore's history.
In an interview with StrathmoreNow, run organizer Diana Baird says almost all of the events were in person, but there were two years when they went virtual due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Terry Fox had his leg amputated leg in 1977 due to cancer and decided to embark on a cross-Canada run in 1980 to raise funds and awareness for cancer research.
He passed away in 1981 without completing his goal, but he has left a lasting legacy for Canadians.
According to Baird, Fox's original plan was for every person in Canada to raise $1 for cancer research. She says the event in Strathmore doesn't seem to generate a lot of funding, so the group is encouraging people to come out to have fun and donate if they can.
"We want to keep on with Terry's vision to find a cure and every single dollar helps."
Schools in Strathmore also host their own Terry Fox Runs during the month.
Baird mentions she lost her father to cancer when she was a teenager. She also saw her father-in-law and brother-in-law pass away from the disease when she got older.
"You'd be pretty hard-pressed to find anybody in Strathmore who hasn't been touched by cancer either through family or friends or themselves."
The event will kick off at Kinsmen Park at the Ampitheatre. The fundraiser will start with a one-kilometre run around the lake. After that, other runners will continue to the path along Gray's Lake, which is another four kilometres, and back to Kinsmen Park.
Last year Baird said that Mother Nature created quite the windstorm that put a bit of a damper on the run.
"We're keeping our fingers crossed that we don't have her appear like that again this year."
According to the Terry Fox Foundation, last year a total of 190 runs were held in 33 countries around the world. The foundation has also raised more than $900 million and funded 1,3000 cancer research projects since the event started in 1981.
Registration starts at 12:30 p.m. and the run will kick off at 1:15 p.m. This year's event is free to attend.