Annual event honours Terry Fox's legacy and funds lifesaving cancer research

The annual Terry Fox Run returns to Ladysmith on Sunday, Sept. 14, as part of a national fundraising effort for cancer research. The local event will take place at the Frank Jameson Community Centre, 810 Sixth Ave., with check-in starting at 10:30 a.m. and the run beginning at 11 a.m.

The route is a 2.5-kilometre course that is open to all fitness levels and accessible for bikes, rollerblades and leashed dogs. Organizers encourage participants to register and donate online, as cash donations will not be accepted at the site.

This year marks 45 years since Terry Fox began his Marathon of Hope, running across Canada to raise money for cancer research after losing his leg to osteogenic sarcoma. He ran nearly a marathon a day for 143 days before he was forced to stop due to cancer. He died in 1981 at just 22 years old, but his dream of ending cancer lives on.

"Terry united the country with his courage and vision," according to the Terry Fox Foundation's website. "Today, thousands of Canadians run each year to continue his work and fund the next generation of breakthroughs in cancer detection, treatment and prevention."

Last year, more than $60 million was raised across the country, supporting 600 Canadian scientists working on 200 research projects.

Thanks to advances in targeted therapies and precision medicine, survival rates for several types of cancer -- including childhood leukemia, breast cancer, and melanoma -- have significantly improved since Terry's run in 1980.

The foundation encourages participants to form teams and fundraise together.

"Whether you walk, run, donate, or volunteer, you are part of finishing what Terry started," the organization notes.

More information, including how to donate or join a team, is available at terryfox.org.