WINNIPEG — Terry Fox and the Marathon of Hope are household names across the country, and now an extensive exhibit honouring him and his accomplishments is coming to his hometown
The Manitoba Museum will host Terry Fox – Running to the Heart of Canada starting on July 14. The exhibit was developed by the Canadian Museum of History in partnership with Fox’s family. It will include the Canadian icon’s journal, his artificial leg, media interviews and other archived material.
“During the Marathon of Hope and the months that followed, Canadians filled our home in Port Coquitlam, BC with scrapbooks, written tributes and gifts reflecting a collective compassion and admiration for Terry’s unselfish act,” Darrell Fox, Terry’s brother, said about the exhibit in a news release.
RELATED: Terry Fox legacy strengthens after 35 years
Terry Fox kicked off the Marathon of Hope to raise money for cancer research after battling cancer and losing a leg to the disease. The run started in St. John’s, Newfoundland when Fox dipped his prosthetic leg into the Atlantic ocean on April 20, 1980.
“Thirty-five years later, it was time to share the Terry Fox collection and the compelling story that the memorabilia evokes with the world,” Darrell said.
The marathon lasted for 143 days and ended in Thunder Bay, Ontario when the cancer that claimed his leg returned. Fox died in 1981 at the age of 22 after raising $24 million. Since his death, nearly $700 million has been raised in his name.
WATCH: Archived footage of Terry Fox
RELATED: Terry Fox’s father passes away at age 80
“Terry Fox has moved countless Canadians and his heroism continues to inspire us today,” Claudette Leclerc, executive director of the Manitoba Museum said in the release.
RELATED: Hundreds take part in inaugural Terry Fox Training Run
The Manitoba Museum is asking anyone with artifacts or memorabilia to loan them to the museum in order to create a “mini-exhibit.”
Comments