“Even if I don’t finish, we need others to continue. It’s got to keep going without me.”
These were the words spoken by Terry Fox on July 10th 1980. His Marathon of Hope had captured the hearts of a nation and people everywhere wanted to be a part of helping Terry to realize his dream of a world free from cancer.
31 years after Terry began his historic Run on April 12th 1980, the Canadian public, and the world, has never forgotten Terry’s story and his legacy lives on in each and every single person that has taken up Terry’s torch to keep his dream alive.
Few Canadians would ever have imagined that the Terry Fox Run would one day mark its 31st year. The longevity of the Run is a great testament to Canadians determination to see Terry’s dream fulfilled, and to make a lasting contribution to the health of our families and ourselves. We continue to be inspired by all who share in Terry’s dream and by the hope and inspiration he has left with each and every one of us.
The Terry Fox Foundation exists today because of the passion and dedication of an amazing group of volunteers from the west coast of our country all the way to the east coast and in countries around the world where Terry Fox Runs take place. Each and every single Run that takes place is organized and run by a volunteer who give their gift of time and energy for nothing more than a simple thank you and the knowledge that they are making a difference in the lives of people living with cancer.
Here in the British Columbia and Yukon office of The Terry Fox Foundation, we have more than 100 Terry Fox Runs that take place around our region and it is the dedication of these volunteers that make the Run possible in the communities where they live. They provide an opportunity for the community to come out and share in helping to keep Terry’s Marathon of Hope alive and thriving today. They put on these events with no budget from us but with the support from the communities where they live. There are also more than 1,400 schools in our region that also take part in sharing Terry’s dream with our youth.
The Terry Fox Foundation continues to exist today because of these amazing volunteers and we would be nowhere without them.
Volunteers at the Port Coquitlam office
Here in the provincial office in Terry’s hometown of Port Coquitlam, we are deeply thankful to the office volunteers that continue to come in week after week to give of their time and passion for Terry’s dream that allow our full time staff of only three people to do the work that needs to be done. They are an amazing group of individuals that have become a part of our Terry Fox family. Many of them have been here for more than five years and one very dedicated young woman has been here for the past 14 years…simply because they believe in Terry and his dream.
The Terry Fox Foundation firmly believes in our obligation to be fully transparent in all matters relating to fiscal reporting. With only 3¢ of every dollar raised going towards administration, and 10¢ going towards fundraising costs, The Foundation is an industry leading in fundraising accountability. It is the dedication of our volunteers that allow us to continue to keep our expenses low so that our generous donors can be assured that the donations they are giving are making their way to cancer research.
Simply put, we would be nowhere without our Terry Fox volunteers. They are the true Terry Foxers and the reason that 31 years later, Terry’s dream lives on.
Thank you to every single one them who play a part in finding a cure for cancer and in keep Terry’s dream burning brightly.
– Donna White, Provincial Director
PDF: Terry Fox runs from around the world