Fred Fox, older brother of Terry, joined local organizer Stephanie Meyer at the Wakamow Valley Farmer's Market on September 9 to help promote this year's Terry Fox Run, which is being held at the Vanier Collegiate football field on Sunday, Sept. 17.
"I'm happy to be down here to support Stephanie's hard work, and all the volunteers here who are connected to the Run," Fox told MooseJawToday.com. "I got invited to come to the [Wakamow Farmer's Market] to join her in talking to people in the area, maybe share a little bit about Terry, answer some questions people may have about him.
"You know, when Terry started his run on that cold day in Newfoundland in 1980, he could never have imagined where we'd be today, 43 years later. When he had to stop his run, before he passed away, he knew there would be a Terry Fox Run, but he could never have imagined the support that Canadians have given over the years, new generations of students going to school and having Terry Fox Runs in over 9,000 schools, and Terry Fox Runs in over 600 communities. So, he'd be amazed, but more importantly, he'd be so proud that people have taken up his challenge."
Terry, now considered a national hero, began his run in Newfoundland on April 12, 1980. He planned to run all the way to Victoria, BC, but was forced to stop on Sep. 1 outside Thunder Bay, ON, after his cancer spread to his lungs.
Despite his determination to get better and finish what he started, Terry died 9 months later on June 28, 1981, at 22 years old.
The Terry Fox Run has become the single-largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research in the world, raising more than $850 million as of September 2022.
"People always have great questions, and a lot of times people want to know what he was like growing up," Fred Fox said. "We're only a year apart in age, I'm the older brother, and when I do my presentations at schools and even corporate groups, everyone thinks he must have been very confident, as a speaker and an athlete.
"But Terry wasn't, he was very shy. He didn't have a lot to say normally, but he spoke with his actions. I think we saw that during the [Marathon of Hope]. It wasn't about Terry Fox, it was about making a difference in the lives of people with cancer."
Fox said that his younger brother would have described himself as an average, ordinary Canadian with average abilities, who accomplished what he did with determination rather than because he was a charismatic, towering figure — that's part of the power of ongoing legacy.
"I thank people who are involved with the run here and if you want to come participate, it's not a competitive event," Fox said firmly. "It's a family event, we want people out walking, on bicycles, I've even been at events where people came riding their horses. It's all about people who have been touched by cancer coming together, that's what Terry wanted."
"This year's run is once again happening on Sunday, September 17, and it is at 324 MacDonald St., which is the Vanier Collegiate football field. Registration starts at 10:30 a.m., the run will start at 11 a.m. and we'll go until 1 p.m.," Stephanie Meyer explained. "We have a walking track option with some bouncy castle obstacle courses, fun and games, face painting, some points of interest for the younger kids to learn about Terry and what he did and how we support that cause through the [Terry Fox] Foundation.
"It would be very interesting if someone showed up with horses, but I do not think we have the insurance or space for that, so please don't!" Meyer laughed. "We'd like to thank Vanier for supporting us, they've been great. We do have a short track option and then a 5 and 10k route for anybody who does want a full run. We enjoy the benefit of lots of run teams coming out each year and we definitely appreciate everyone who attends."
