WINNIPEG - Manitobans can take part in the 41st Terry Fox Run wherever they are this year — at school, in backyards, down the street, or around the block. But no matter how active the participants, the annual event, continuing Terry’s vision to run from coast to coast, is an opportunity to donate to cancer research.
Born in Winnipeg on July 28, 1958, Terry’s 22 years of life were cut short by bone cancer. His journey in 1980 spanned 143 days and 5,373 km — 42 km a day — relying on a prosthetic that had taken the place of his amputated right leg.
The Terry Fox Foundation says the Terry Fox Virtual Run shines a spotlight on the research that Terry had sought to raise funds for. After starting in St John's, N.L., he managed to surpass his $1 million goal by $700,000 before he could no longer run, the cancer returning in his lungs by the time he reached Thunder Bay, Ont.
Since then, over $850 million has been raised in his name. In 2015, Manitoba became the first province in Canada to honour Terry Fox by setting aside a day in his honour.
Today is also a time to honour others who have battled cancer, which claimed 2,950 lives in Manitoba last year as Canada’s leading cause of death. This year, participants are asked to walk, run, or bike — on their own or with a team — any time today. There are 210 Terry Fox fundraisers happening in Winnipeg alone, and the foundation says they’ve raised over $56,000 so far.
To learn how to donate to a team near you, you can visit the Terry Fox Foundation website.
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