Thousands of people in Ottawa and around the world laced up Sunday morning for the 32nd annual Terry Fox Run which raises money for cancer research.
Many running, walking or wheeling in Ottawa did so in memory of loved ones who passed away from the disease.
“She used to run in the Terry Fox Run every year so we’re just carrying on the tradition and hoping to help other people who have cancer,” said Karen Pearson.
“For me personally it’s remembrance of my wife and everything she did,” said one participant.
“We lost their grandma and mom a couple of years ago and it means even more for us now to do this walk,” said another.
Terry Fox was 18 years old when he was diagnosed with bone cancer.
Despite being forced to have his right leg amputated, Fox decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research and called it the “Marathon of Hope.”
He ran 143 days and covered more than 5,000 km before he had to stop.
Fox’s brother Darrell Fox was at the run in Ottawa and thanked the more than 2,000 people who participated.
“It’s an experience that you never forget, to witness a nation embrace my brother but also to witness a miracle in the making,” he said.
Governor General David Johnston also participated.
“There is a great place for hope in this battle and we will see the end of cancer in a few years I’m sure,” he said.
The Terry Fox Run is the world’s largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research. More than $600 million has been raised worldwide through the annual run.
Ferry de Kerckhove, a former Canadian ambassador to Egypt, lost his son to cancer and brought the run to Egypt.
“There’s not a single person who one way or another hasn’t been affected by an event in their family with cancer,” said de Kerckhove.
With a report from CTV Ottawa’s Ellen Mauro
