Terry Fox’s cross-country journey came to an end 37 years ago, but his legacy lives on as tens of thousands of Canadians participated in ‘Terry Fox Runs’ from coast-to-coast, Sunday.
It’s a September tradition for Canadians and this year 300 people in Halifax took part in the Terry Fox run at Point Pleasant Park.
"I think it's very important for Canadians, it's one of the main ways they can give back to research, and Terry's message was so important that from the get-go it stayed strong for so many years," says event organizer, Moamen Bydoun.
Fox’s name has become synonymous with Canada after running his ‘Marathon of Hope’ to raise money for cancer research in 1980.
Everyone has a different reason to participate in the event each year and cancer survivor, Daniel Holmes says he has a deeply person reason.
"When I was a kid I had cancer, I was about 16 months and survived it, chemotherapy and treatments like that, and now I just believe in helping people out when I can,” says Holmes.
Team ‘Heather's Hope’ is a running group that took part in the run in memory of Heather Farthing, who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in 2011.
Inspired by Fox's journey, Farthing participated in three runs after her diagnosis.
CTV News spoke to Farthing about her reason to run in 2013.
"I think more people should come out and support the terry fox run, it started from a guy who had a dream and we should keep that going,” said Farthing.
While Farthing passed away a year later in 2014, her friends and family continue to keep her dream going and they’ve raised more than $57,000 for the Terry Fox Foundation.
"She would be so incredibly proud that we were able to keep the momentum going on this run and creating awareness of the Terry Fox foundation,” says Farthing’s sister, Jennifer Strowbridge.
The team has kept Farthing’s legacy going strong by participating in the last five Terry Fox Runs and this year they were joined by a very special guest, Terry Fox’s older brother.
"Terry said, even if I don't finish we need others to continue, it’s got to keep going without me, and that's what Heather's family and friends are doing today," says Fred Fox.
Strowbridge invited Fred Fox to help celebrate the 5th year of Heather’s Hope.
“On the eve of Heather’s birthday, July 20th, I got an email from Fred saying he was coming, so we took that as a gift to Heather, and her gift to us that he was going to attend the run this year," says Strowbridge.
Fred Fox continues to work for the Terry Fox Foundation that has raised more than $750 million for cancer research to date.
"It just shows what Terry did, he sent that message that we're all going to be touched by cancer,” he says. “Heather obviously was lost to her family and friends and they are continuing her dream, her hope, that one day a cure is going to be found.”
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Allan April.
