Decades after Fox’s final mile, Brantford continues to keep his mission going.
On the morning of Sunday, Sept. 20, residents gathered at Lion’s Park at 20 Edge St. in Brantford, Ont., for the annual Terry Fox Run. Participants of all ages came out under clear skies to walk, run, and biked along two-kilometre, five-kilometre and ten-kilometre routes along the Grand River trails.
The event honours the legacy of Terry Fox, who lost his right leg to osteosarcoma at age 18 before starting his 1980 Marathon of Hope. Fox set out to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. More than four decades later, the grassroots event remains volunteer-run with no corporate sponsorships, sending funds directly to research.
Organizing the event in Brantford takes months of work behind the scenes. Michael Bitton, an assistant professor at Wilfrid Laurier University who has organized the local run for three years and participated for 30, spent his summer securing city permits and preparing the course. Having drawn motivation from Fox during a period of personal trauma, Bitton said supporting the foundation remains deeply meaningful.
“Anything I can do to help support Terry Fox and the organization, it’s just so exhilarating and uplifting,” said Bitton. “It’s wonderful to see random people from Brantford coming out, bringing their families and their dogs, and taking part in this community atmosphere.”
Among the participants was Brantford resident and Paralympic para ice hockey athlete Garrett Riley. Riley is an osteosarcoma survivor who lost his leg to the same bone cancer Fox fought, making the annual event a deeply personal tradition.
“Personally, to me, it just brings a lot of drive and a lot of determination,” said Riley. “Cancer is a big thing for everybody. It’s amazing to look around and see all the people here and all the dogs, just bringing the community together.”
By noon, participants had completed their routes across the park grounds. This year’s event brought out community members from across Brantford and surpassed its $20,000 fundraising goal for the Terry Fox Foundation. Decades after Fox’s final mile, Brantford continues to keep his mission going.
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