In celebration of the extraordinary life of Terry Fox and the 40th anniversary of his Marathon of Hope, the PRiME team will be participating in the virtual 2020 Terry Fox Run: One Day, Your Way on Sunday, September 20th, to raise much needed funds for cancer research.
PRiME faculty members bring a diverse range of expertise and many approaches to cancer research. Our researchers are working hard to better understand the molecular pathways involved in different cancer types in order to identify novel targets, many are making advances in technology that will allow tailored treatment for patients of specific disease subtype and stage, and others are developing novel diagnostics in order to be able to identify the disease at an earlier stage. These projects, like many others across the country, need continuous support and funding in order to make progress in conquering cancer. The Terry Fox Foundation is one that has always tirelessly championed this cause.
On April 12, 1980, Terry Fox dipped his right leg in the Atlantic Ocean and started his cross-country Marathon of Hope. This is an iconic image now: a young man with one prosthetic leg, dressed in a white t-shirt with the Canadian flag across his chest, running alone with thousands of kilometres ahead to raise money for cancer research. His resilience and perseverance sadly saw an end after 143 days and 5,373 km when the bone cancer that had plagued him spread to his lungs and, shortly after, took his life. By then, he had raised $1.7 million, with more donations flooding in and reaching $23 million by the following April.
Forty years later, Terry Fox’s legacy lives on in the annual Terry Fox Run, the world’s largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research. While the ongoing COVID-19 crisis may change how we come together, the fight against cancer cannot take a break during the pandemic. This cross-Canada virtual event encourages everyone to run, walk, or bike from wherever they are – be it around the neighbourhood, in the backyard, down the street, or around the block.
“Even if I don't finish, we need others to continue. It's got to keep going.” – Terry Fox
Join the PRiME@UofT Team in fundraising or participating in this year’s run and helping to realize Terry’s vision of a world without cancer.