The Terry Fox Run, like many 2022, has returned to in-person events in Kitchener, Waterloo, and all across the country.
The nation-wide cancer researcher fundraiser was held throughout Canada on Sunday, Sept. 18.
Thousands of footsteps beat along the path in Waterloo Park for their two and a half kilometre route.
"As of this morning, we raised $31,000 in pledges," said organizer Derek Hergott.
Many participants wore t-shirts commemorating the 42nd annual run, with cancer survivors wearing red.
Jim Stephens overcame thyroid cancer in 2005 and his daughter April beat melanoma in 2010.
"I don't think there's a family in this country, around the world, who isn't affected by it," said Jim. "The amount of money that's raised through Terry Fox and his inspiration just encourages people to get out."
In Kitchener's Victoria Park, participants were able to write the names of who they were running for.
"We get new runners every year that come with a different kind of reason behind the race or why they're out today," said organizer Marcus Drasdo.
The run his close to home for Heidi Davies, who was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma in 1995, the same cancer Terry Fox had.
"I was one of the first people in Canada to get to keep their leg," said Davies. "Thanks to Terry we now get to keep our legs. It's called a Kotz prosthesis."
Davies says she's living proof of how far cancer research has home thanks to Terry's Marathon of Hope.
"You can say 'well I had Terry Fox's cancer' and people just say 'oh okay,'" she said. "Then you get to show them your leg to say 'see what this has done, see what the race does, see what Terry has done for us.'"
Organizers say the Kitchener event raised almost $12,000 before the run began.
"He wasn't going to be the one to cure cancer, but he knew that if we started it, the rest of us would pick it up," said Drasdo. "That's what has been happening every year since."
Donations can still be made on the Terry Fox Foundation's website.
