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Dear Terry: messages of hope inspired by Terry Fox

Canadians share powerful messages of courage and hope in this year's #DearTerry campaign

Terry Fox Photo by: Terry Fox Foundation

Forty-three years after Terry Fox dipped his prosthetic leg into the Atlantic Ocean to begin the Marathon of Hope, his legacy continues to be honoured by Canadians across the country. On Sunday, runners and walkers across the country will participate in the annual Terry Fox Run–”surrounded by messages of love, hope and inspiration from Canadians everywhere,” the Terry Fox Foundation shares on their website.

This year, the Terry Fox Foundation has asked Canadians to write to Fox. They have received countless postcards and messages on social media from Canadians thanking Fox for his courage and sharing their own very personal stories. “When Terry stopped running, people started writing. Terry and his family received thousands of letters filled with support and encouragement,” the Foundation says.

Participants can share how Fox’s legacy has inspired them by writing a  #DearTerry message and sharing it with the Terry Fox Foundation. You can type a message on the website, or upload a file of your handwritten note, drawing, painting or art piece here. The Foundation has featured some of the many notes they’ve received online for readers to scroll through.

Fox could not have anticipated the impact he would have on Canada (and the world) and the people he would continue to inspire. Thousands of Terry Fox Runs are held annually in communities and within schools, and millions of supporters across Canada continue to work towards Fox’s mission–to create a world without cancer.

Terry Fox Foundation also plays a vital role in building community. Each year, Fox’s vision is supported by more than 20,000 volunteers and 3.5 million students in nearly 10,000 annual fundraising events across the country. People around the world of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities have been inspired by Fox’s enduring legacy, and the Terry Fox Foundation has raised more than $850 million and funded 1,300 innovative cancer research projects.

Read the messages of hope on the Terry Fox Foundation’s Instagram account here. You can contribute to Fox’s dream by registering to fundraise for cancer research at https://run.terryfox.ca/

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