Simon Fraser University's annual Terry Fox Walk/Run participants will be in good company on Sept. 18 as several universities from coast to coast join SFU and President Andrew Petter in their own walk/run events, launching a national initiative called Terry’s CAUSE on Campus.
Terry’s CAUSE (Colleges And Universities for Student Engagement) will focus on engaging students to raise awareness about cancer prevention, celebrate Fox’s legacy and fundraise for cancer research.
SFU’s Terry Fox Day committee has been working with the Terry Fox Foundation and the Terry Fox Research Institute to encourage other Canadian universities and colleges to hold their own Terry Fox Day events.
Terry Fox was an SFU kinesiology student and a member of the Clan junior varsity basketball team in 1977 when he was diagnosed with bone cancer.
Darrell Fox, Terry’s brother and a special advisor with the institute, is spearheading the initiative and says Terry began planning and training for his Marathon of Hope while he was a first-year university student. “He would be pleased and honoured to know that students here and across Canada continue to be inspired by him and are joining together to support his dream – our dream – of ending cancer.”
“I am delighted that the annual SFU walk/run event, which has a proud history at the university, has become the model for a national campus initiative,” says SFU President Andrew Petter. “By promoting the SFU model to other universities, the Terry Fox Foundation hopes to enhance its mission to raise awareness about cancer research and cancer prevention among university students, staff, and faculty nationwide.”
“Terry attended Simon Fraser University as a kinesiology student when he was 18. At 19, he became a cancer patient. At 21, he was a hero. This national event is a great opportunity for current students – our country’s future leaders and researchers – to come together for a great cause and at the same time pay tribute to one of the country’s greatest heroes,” says Tim Rahilly, associate vice-president, students. “His courage, determination and selflessness continue to inspire us all.”
Other participating universities this year include Carleton University, Dalhousie University, McMaster University, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Queen’s University, the University of Calgary and the University of Toronto. The number is expected to grow next year.
SFU began celebrating its annual Terry Fox Day at the Burnaby campus in 2001, holding run/walk events and awarding an annual Terry Fox Medal. More recently, run/walk events have been established at the Surrey and Vancouver campuses.
Since 2003, when the committee began keeping statistics, the event has raise more than $115,000 for cancer research.
Last year, with all three SFU campuses and Burnaby Mountain’s University Highlands elementary school students and teachers participating, the event attracted more than 1,100 participants and raised a record amount in donations, totaling more than $16,000.
For more details see: www.terryfox.org/terryscauseoncampus
Check out the Terry's CAUSE on Campus video: http://youtu.be/15JxEjOc_lQ