The event was founded in 1981 by Isadore Sharp, who had contacted Terry in hospital by telegram and expressed his wishes to hold an annual run in Terry's name to raise funds for cancer research. Sharp had lost his son to cancer in 1979. The event is held every year on the second Sunday following Labour Day. Since its inception, it has raised via the 'Terry Fox Foundation' over $750 million (CAD). The run is informal which means that the distance often varies, usually between 5 and 15 kilometres; participation is considered to be more important than completing the set distance. There are also runs set up by schools of every level, often with shorter distances than the "official" ones.
The Terry Fox Run has no corporate sponsorship, in accordance with Terry Fox's original wishes of not seeking fame or fortune from his endeavour. During his cross-Canada run, he rejected every endorsement he was offered (including from multinational corporations such as McDonald's), as he felt that it would detract from his goal of creating public awareness. The Terry Fox Runs have no advertisements on any race related materials (such as T-shirts, banners, etc.). wikipedia.org
The annual Terry Fox Run has become a fall tradition in Canada, with more than 650 communities, big and small, urban and rural, English and French, fundraising for cancer research. This year, you can register and participate on Sunday September 18! (Terry Fox Foundation)
If you are looking for more information on Terry Fox, check out these titles from one of your local branches. As always, you can click on the book title to place a hold on the book in our catalogue or contact your local branch for more information.
In this book, simple text and full-color photographs describe the amazing life of Terry Fox! In 1980 Terry ran across Canada to raise money for cancer research - despite having lost a leg to the disease several years earlier!
Terry Fox, the one-legged runner from Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, made an indelible impression upon people across Canada and around the world. An outstanding athlete with a stubborn and competitive spirit, he lost his leg to cancer at 19, but said nobody is ever going to call me a quitter.
On April 12, 1980, Terry Fox set out from St. John&;s, Newfoundland to begin the run across Canada that he named the Marathon of Hope. His ambition was to raise a million dollars for cancer research. It wasn't easy. Initial support from communities varied from terrific to nothing at all. His prosthetic leg was painful to run on, and there were always traffic and extreme weather conditions to deal with. But, by the time he reached Ontario, a journey of more than 3,000 kilometres, word of his achievement had spread, and thousands cheered him and followed his progress. Terry's spirits soared, and now he hoped to raise $22 million dollars, one dollar for every Canadian. He succeeded in this ambition, but the Marathon of Hope ended near Thunder Bay, Ontario on September 1, 1980. The cancer had spread to his lungs, and, after running 24 miles in one day, on the next he could run no further.
When cancer finally claimed his life in 1981, Canada mourned the loss of a hero, but the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope lives on. The Terry Fox Foundation raised more than $17 million in 1999, and support for the event nationally and around the world is growing.
Photographs and text tell the story of Terry Fox, a young man who lost his leg to cancer in 1976 and who then decided to raise money to find a cure for the disease by running across Canada. Includes information on the Terry Fox Run established in 1981 after Fox's death.
In Meet Terry Fox, the legendary story of how Terry Fox came to run the Marathon of Hope is chronicled: ―his love of sports as a child and teenager; his devastating bone cancer diagnosis; the hospital stay that inspired him to do something to raise awareness about this disease; the poignant moment he dipped his artificial leg in the waters of St. John’s, Newfoundland; and the heartbreaking moment he ended his run. This was also the moment his truly inspiring legacy began.
Travelling to Nova Scotia with his father, who is covering what he thinks is just a human interest story about a young man trying to run across Canada, Winston spends some time with Terry Fox and Terry’s best friend, Doug. Their determination to achieve what seems like an impossible goal makes a big impression on Winston and he takes courage and inspiration from Terry’s run. He is overjoyed when his father’s article about the Marathon of Hope ignites public interest across the country.
The loving portrait of a Canadian cancer victim who ran across Canada to raise money for cancer treatment recalls his loss of a leg to the disease and his subsequent run, with a prothesis, which ultimately raised $24 million.
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