Why Jeff Runs
"In 1980, during the NBC Nightly News, while at home in NYC, I watched an inspiring piece about a Canadian, Terry Fox, who was attempting to run across Canada after his leg was amputated due to bone cancer. Ten years later, in 1990, I was diagnosed with a chronic incurable form of Leukemia. I was training for a triathlon and decided to continue with my training. After meeting Terry Fox’s mom, Betty, at a runners support group in 1994, I ran in the inaugural NYC Terry Fox Run. The following year I got involved in organizing the event and have stayed with it ever since. I did 5 rounds of chemotherapy over the years. Through the type of research the Run funds I was able to receive a newly developed immunotherapy 2 years ago and I’m now in remission. I’m inspired every day by Terry and what he did, I try to emulate his spirit! In return I’ve been able to contribute to life saving bio-medical research to save people’s lives!"
Why Ken Runs
"I grew up in Western Canada and was born in the same year as Terry Fox. I remember watching Terry during his run and being impressed by his spirit, determination and willingness to help others. I believe that he is a true Canadian hero who showed us the difference that one person can make. When I had the chance to start the Terry Fox Run in New York, I knew it would be a great way to celebrate and grow his legacy while raising funds for cancer research. Through the run I have met many really amazing and inspiring cancer survivors and family members who have lost loved ones who are determined to remember them by doing something positive for others through participation in the run. Each one of their stories makes me even more determined to continue to organize and grow the run. While great progress is being made, sadly, we all continue to be affected by cancer (I lost my sister in 2017) so the run continues to be more personal and important than ever. Terry never gave up and neither will we."
Why Colleen Runs
"In the year 2000, my family and friends gathered in Central Park to participate in the Terry Fox Run - NYC for the first time. We weren't there because we loved running. We were there because my sister, Kate, was fighting cancer. Kate was 22 years old, just months away from her 23rd birthday the same age Terry Fox was when he left behind a legacy that continues to inspire millions. She was strong, smart, funny, and the kind of person who made friends wherever she went. While undergoing chemotherapy at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, she continued her studies at Queen's University, commuting between New York for treatment and Kingston for classes. She graduated with honors while fighting for her life.
On that first Terry Fox Run, our father pushed Kate around the course in her wheelchair. As we reached the finish line, she stood up, linked arms with our family, and walked across. She promised us she'd be back the next year. Less than two months later, she was gone.
For over twenty-five years, Kate's Team has gathered family, lifelong friends, and even people who never had the chance to meet Kate. Together, we've raised over $378,000 for cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. We have built lasting relationships with the researchers, volunteers, and organizers who make this work possible.
These experiences - and these relationships - matter. They are important because it means Kate's story didn't end in 2000. People still know her name. They know her spirit. They know that her life mattered.
I run because cancer can take a life, but it cannot erase love. It cannot diminish the laughter, memories, or the impact one person leaves behind. Every year we return to Central Park, we keep Kate's spirit alive while helping create hope for other families who are in the middle of their fight."
Why Brett Runs
"I run to honor my mother and my aunt, both of whom were taken from our family by cancer. I also run to make a difference!
My story began when I started my first business in high school; selling clothes, which I could get on consignment. I used the small room of my entrepreneurship class to sell the clothes, keeping my overhead to nearly zero. This was partially in recognition to my mother who used to teach business and entrepreneurship, including assisting with the development of this same high school entrepreneurship program years earlier.
Sadly, I lost my mother to cancer at the age of 6 and in 2014, I unfortunately lost another amazing person to this disease, my loving aunt, who played a motherly role for me after my mom passed (in addition to raising her 4 children). Thanks to medical advancements, my aunt beat cancer once and was blessed with another decade in her life.
I know cancer has and will continue to affect us all until we find a cure, so I run to make a difference and to continue to raise awareness and support for this horrible disease that affects hundreds of thousands of people per year. While studying as an undergraduate at McGill University in Montreal, I volunteered to drive someone going through chemotherapy to and from the hospital, as he did not have anyone to help him. It was a small donation of my time, but I believed made a big difference in one person’s life.
Relating to this, I also run to inspire others to help make a difference. While any single contribution of time, money or other resources may not be large, in the aggregate, we can make a substantial difference."
Why Mike Runs
"I participate in the Terry Fox Run because my Dad, George, loved to run in the park and we lost him to lung cancer in 2006. He was the greatest man I have ever known, and running was one of the things that made him the happiest.
He used to take me to Van Cortland Park near my home when I was a little boy in the 1980's, and we would run the backwoods cross-country trail together in the early morning hours of the weekend. Back then, Van Cortland Park was filled with all sorts of characters at those hours, but my Dad would give all of them a big smile as we passed by and greet them with the same word. Howdy! That's why we call our team for the Terry Fox Run Howdy George.
When my Dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, he didn't shy away from it or feel sorry for himself. He lived the next ten months before he died to the fullest, enrolling in theater classes (something he always wanted to do), getting his affairs in order, focusing on his treatment, and trying to spend time and enjoy what was left of his life with those he loved. Despite how hard it was, it was a special time, and I greatly admire him for it.
When I learned of Terry's story, I was so incredibly impressed that a man of his young age made the choices he did after receiving his diagnosis. He changed the world through grit, determination and a big heart, under the most challenging of circumstances. He is one of my heroes.
I do this to honor my father, I do this to honor Terry, and I do this to honor all people in the world that wake up one day to a new, much more difficult and scary reality, and meet that reality head on."