Terry Fox Run

Terry Fox was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. An active teenager involved in many sports, Terry was only 18 years old when he was diagnosed with bone cancer and forced to have his right leg amputated six inches above the knee in 1977. While in hospital, Terry was so overcome by the suffering of other cancer patients, many of them young children, that he decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. He would call his journey the Marathon of Hope.

It was a journey that Canadians never forgot. After 18 months and running over 5,000 3,107 miles to prepare, Terry started his run in St. John’s, Newfoundland on 12th April 1980 with little fanfare. Although it was difficult to get attention in the beginning, enthusiasm soon grew, and the money collected along his route began to mount. He ran 26 miles a day through Canada's Atlantic provinces, Quebec and Ontario. However, on 1st September, after 143 days and 3,339 miles, Terry was forced to stop running because cancer had appeared in his lungs. An entire nation was stunned and saddened. Terry died on 28th June 1981 at the age 22.

The heroic Canadian was gone, but his legacy was just beginning. To date, more than $400 million has been raised worldwide for cancer research in Terry's name through the annual Terry Fox Run, held across Canada and around the world. BATUS held its run on 18th September and the children took part in a mini fun run on 25th September. Both Holly and Amy participated.