Terry Fox Run

[Takara_Soong 4]

This weekend marks the 25th Anniversary of the Terry Fox Run. Every September beginning in 1981 a run to raise money and awareness for cancer research is held across Canada. There are also runs held in countries around the world at various times throughout the year. To date, over $360 million has been raised worldwide in Terry Fox’s name.

 

Terry Fox is a hero to many Canadians which was evidenced by his being named the second greatest Canadian of all time in the recent CBC series. His accomplishments were incredible and his death tragic. He has inspired millions of people worldwide through his passionate quest to aid cancer research. The money raised in his name has funded countless research projects, which have pioneered new treatments and cures.

 

About Terry Fox (from the Terry Fox Foundation website)

 

Terry Fox was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and raised in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, a community near Vancouver on Canada's west coast. An active teenager involved in many sports, Terry was only 18 years old when he was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma (bone cancer) and forced to have his right leg amputated 15 centimetres (six inches) above the knee in 1977. 

 

While in hospital, Terry was so overcome by the suffering of other cancer patients, many of them young children, that he decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research.

 

He would call his journey the Marathon of Hope.

 

After 18 months and running over 5,000 kilometres (3,107 miles) to prepare, Terry started his run in St. John’s, Newfoundland on April 12, 1980 with little fanfare. Although it was difficult to garner attention in the beginning, enthusiasm soon grew, and the money collected along his route began to mount. He ran 42 kilometres (26 miles) a day through Canada's Atlantic provinces, Quebec and Ontario.

 

It was a journey that Canadians never forgot.

 

However, on September 1st, after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres (3,339 miles), Terry was forced to stop running outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario because cancer had appeared in his lungs. An entire nation was stunned and saddened. Terry passed away on June 28, 1981 at age 22.

 

The heroic Canadian was gone, but his legacy was just beginning.

Terry Fox being invested to the Order of Canada by then Governor General Edward Schreyer in September, 1980.

The Terry Fox Memorial outside Thunder Bay, Ontario

 

For more information regarding cancer research or to make a donation, please visit the following links:

 

Canadian Cancer Society

American Cancer Society

British Association for Cancer Research

Edited September 17, 2005 by Takara_Soong

[LordOfTheBorg 1]

I ran today with my school, and hopefully am running on sunday (if nothing comes up to important) We are trying to get 200 people in our town (we only got like 1500 ppl in our town) because its our towns 200th b-day.... My school went on a terry fox walk today...

[APW 0]

I watched a documentary about him late yesterday night on Biography.

He was an exceptional young man.

[Wishfire 2]

Before just now, I had heard the name, but I never knew anything about it. Now I do, and I feel great respect for him.

 

Considering that he had an artificial leg, it is amazing that that he was able to run 26 miles each day. I have an idea what that's like; when I walked half-way across Texas, I walked about 20 miles per day. And both my legs are just ne. Terry Fox had already, before I was even born, surpassed what I had done. And he did it for a good cause, on top of it. All I wanted was to get to California.

 

Reading about Terry Fox reminds me of a journey I had once wanted to go through with. After reading about him, I remember that planned journey, and have a renewed interest in it. (If you're wondering, I had planned to ride a bike from SoCal, to Florida, to Maine, to Washington, and then back to SoCal.) Maybe now I will do it. (Well, not now... My job is still going.) I would like it.