Terry Fox was a Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist. In 1980, with one leg having been amputated due to cancer, he embarked on an east to west cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Although the spread of his cancer eventually forced him to end his quest after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres, and ultimately cost him his life, his efforts resulted in a lasting, worldwide legacy. The annual Terry Fox Run, first held in 1981, has grown to involve millions of participants in over 60 countries and is now the world's largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research; over $750 million has been raised in his name, as of January 2018.
Every year Terry Fox Runs are held in over 9000 communities across Canada with the goal of raising funds for cancer research. At Newbridge Academy, we started off our participation in the Terry Fox run with an assembly. In their classes, teachers and students watched videos of Terry Fox, talked about leadership, super heroes, and how to ‘be like Terry’.
For the run day, the weather was perfect. The children had been practising in PE and ran like athletes who were running for a cause -- which of course they were! Participating in this event helps to teach children empathy, and as well the power that individuals can have to affect change when they come together for a common goal.
The fundraising component was a great success. Children brought home pledge forms and we also had a link where donations were made online. We believe everyone made a donation (some were anonymous) and we far surpassed last year’s amount. The goal we set was just a number and we are very proud of what was accomplished in terms of awareness and contributions to cancer research. Thank you to all of you for your support towards cancer research.
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