Terry Fox might have stopped running his Marathon of Hope on a fateful day in August, 1980, but his drive to find a cure for cancer continues this weekend with the annual Terry Fox Run.
The 44th annual event is set for Sept. 15 at the Grace Hartmann Amphitheatre in Bell Park. The race begins at 10:45 a.m.
Fox was the young man from British Columbia who lost his leg to cancer at age 18. A couple of years later, when he was in recovery he decided to set out on a cross-Canada run to raise money for cancer research.
Check out our video from last year's Terry Fox Rund below.
In April, 1980, with the help of some friends and an artificial leg, Fox began his journey. He began from Newfoundland and headed west. The idea thrilled the public and Fox became a celebrity in every city and town he visited. It was called the Marathon of Hope. The journey took Fox through Sudbury on Aug. 4, 1980.
It was only a month later on Sept. 1, near Thunder Bay, that things turned bad and Fox was forced to end his run. Cancer was discovered in his lungs.
Terry Fox died on June 28, 1981. Canada mourned. The first-ever Terry Fox Run was held later that year in more than 800 communities across Canada. The annual run has now become part of the Canadian cultural landscape.
On Sept. 15, registration opens at 9:30 a.m. at the amphitheatre. The start time of the walk/run event is 10:45 a.m. People can also register online ahead of time.
She added that people can make a personal donation or join a team to collect pledges and make a group donation.
The local goal this year is $30,000, of which $11,690 has been raised.