The Terry Fox Run is an annual non-competitive charity event held around the world to raise money for

cancer research Cancer research is research into cancer to identify causes and develop strategies for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure. Cancer research ranges from epidemiology, molecular bioscience to the performance of clinical trials to evaluate a ...

in commemoration of Canadian

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal bl ...

activist

Terry Fox Terrance Stanley Fox (July 28, 1958 June 28, 1981) was a Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist. In 1980, with one leg having been amputated due to cancer, he embarked on an east-to-west cross-Canada run to raise money ...

and his Marathon of Hope. The event was founded in 1981 by

Isadore Sharp Isadore "Issy" Sharp, (born October 8, 1931) is a Canadian hotelier and writer. He is founder and chairman of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Early life and education Sharp was born in Toronto, the son of Polish Jewish immigrants. His father, ...

, 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 Labour Day (''Labor Day'' in the United States) is an annual holiday to celebrate the achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours fo ...

. 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 corporation A multinational company (MNC), also referred to as a multinational enterprise (MNE), a transnational enterprise (TNE), a transnational corporation (TNC), an international corporation or a stateless corporation with subtle but contrasting senses, i ...

s such as

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food Fast food is a type of mass-produced food designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service. It is a commercial term, limited to food sold ...

), 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.).

History

The Terry Fox Foundation was founded in 1988 after it separated from the Canadian Cancer Society. Since its inception, The Terry Fox Foundation has raised over $800 million for cancer research. Currently, Terry Fox Runs take place every year with many participants from all over the world. The Run is a volunteer led, all-inclusive, non-competitive event with no corporate sponsorship, incentives or fundraising minimums. Fox laid out these wishes before his death in 1981. In 2007 The Terry Fox Foundation created the Terry Fox Research Institute to conduct transnational research to significantly improve outcomes for cancer patients. In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013, The Terry Fox Foundation directed $27.7 million to its cancer research programs. The Terry Fox Foundation has expanded beyond the traditional Run as well, by holding various other events. These events include National School Run Day, where schools throughout Canada hold a Run to commemorate Fox and raise funds, and The Great Canadian Hair "Do", which is a fundraising event that can take place at any time of the year. Participants are able to make the event as creative as they want— shave their heads, dye their hair a wacky colour, include a manly leg wax, and recruit friends to shave their heads as well.

Debuts by country

* Canada -September 13, 1981, at 760 sites * Cuba - 1998. In 2005, over 1.9 million people used 3,600 sites. In 2006, it had around 2.6 million participants. The tenth run in 2007 had 4,652 sites and 2.267 million runners. * United States - 1990 in Bangor, Maine *Venezuela - 1998 at the Colegio Internactional de Caracas Terry Fox Run (1506100972)

* Bulgaria - 2013 at the Anglo-American School of Sofia * Croatia - 2000 * Hungary - 1999, ended in 2005 * Poland - 2006 * Portugal - 1994 *Spain - 2017 * Oman - 2008 * Syria - 1991, ended after 2010 for civil war Smiling boy at TFR 2014

* Australia - September 1988 in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

(legacy from Expo '88) raising $22,000 (AUD) * China - 1998 * Hong Kong - 2013 * Malaysia - Early 1990s in

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* Philippines - 2001 in

Cebu City Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Sugbo; fil, Lungsod ng Cebu; hil, Dakbanwa sang Sugbo), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines and capital of the Cebu Province. A ...

* Taiwan - 2001 in Taipei City * Thailand - 1995 in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populatio ...

* Vietnam - 1996 in

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. In 2014, it drew about 16,500 participants and the organization committee included the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam.

References

External links

{{Commons category
Official site

Terry Fox Run in Cuba
'Photos'' Terry Fox Long-distance running competitions Cancer fundraisers Charities based in Canada Charity events in Canada Organizations established in 1981 Recurring sporting events established in 1981 1981 establishments in Canada

History

Debuts by country

See also

References

External links