Fred Fox remembers Sept. 1, 1980, well.
“Mom answered the phone. It was Terry,” Fred says.
“Terry said, ‘mom, I have to come back now, because the cancer has returned.’”
The Fox family gathered around the TV that night, and saw the footage – Terry lying flat on his back, telling Canadians that if he could get back out there and finish his run, he would. But if he wasn’t able to, he didn’t want anyone to run the remaining miles for him, but he did hope the nation would continue his dream.
Thirty-seven years later, Canada has continued Terry Fox’s dream, more than the curly-haired 22-year-old could ever has imagined.
What started as a single man running on an artificial leg, trying to make it across the nation to raise money for cancer research, has turned into a movement extending across Canada and beyond.
Monday night, Fred Fox, Terry’s brother, was in Prince Albert to share the story of his brother, and what it means to see the Marathon of Hope continue this day.
“Terry proved that one person can make a difference,” Fred said. “He never felt that he had failed. He knew he had accomplished his goal of raising awareness and money for cancer research and set an example that has never been forgotten.
“I’ve had the chance to travel … and see the impacts 37 years later. It’s truly amazing.”
For more on this story, please see the May 17 print or e-edition of the Daily Herald.
