It was 40 years ago when Terry Fox began his Marathon of Hope in St. John’s.
At the time he did not know how Canadians would respond to his plea, “Somewhere the hurting must stop.”
The response was more than he could have imagined.
Canada answered that plea with Terry Fox Runs in hundreds of communities, thousands of schools and with millions of supporters across Canada.
There will be walkers, runners, bikers and hikers; some will get up at 4:30 a.m. to honour Terry’s favorite time to run, while others will walk and Skype family throughout the world to participate in a global effort.
The Terry Fox Foundation notes in a news release that the global pandemic “has not changed our desire to help others, to make a difference, to bring light into the dark, just like Terry did in 1980. The Marathon of Hope might be turning 40 years old but the message is timeless.”
On Sunday, Canadians will show up again for Terry Fox and for cancer research, not in person but in spirit, in neighborhoods across Canada as they participate in the first-ever virtual “Terry Fox Run. One Day. Your Way.”
There will be walkers, runners, bikers and hikers; some will get up at 4:30 a.m. to honour Terry’s favorite time to run, while others will walk and Skype family throughout the world to participate in a global effort.
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey encourages all residents to participate in the 2020 Terry Fox Run Sunday.
Due to public health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, residents are asked to participate in spirit and not in person this year.
Most importantly, Furey noted, participants will continue to honour one of Canada’s most remarkable individuals by fundraising for cancer research.
“It was philanthropist Isadore Sharp who said, ‘Terry is like a meteor passing in the sky, one whose light travels beyond our view, yet still shines in the darkest night.’ Terry’s light still shines on us all, and I encourage all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to join their friends, family and neighbours virtually to participate in the Terry Fox Run,” Furey said.
“He is a true hero — a symbol of hope, courage and determination for all Canadians.”
PC Opposition Leader Ches Crosbie issued a statement wishing everyone a safe Marathon of Hope.
“As Terry famously put it, ‘I just wish people would realize that anything's possible if you try’. He is one of the greatest Canadians to have ever graced our country and an inspiration to millions, spanning generations and geography,” Crosbie said.