Altruistic athlete Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Altruistic athlete - Essay Example His hope was to raise $1 from every Canadian to fight cancer. In a letter he wrote to the Canadian Cancer Society, â€Å"I’m not a dreamer, and I’m not saying this will initiate any kind of definitive answer or cure to cancer, but I believe in miracles. I have to.† (terryfox.org) On April 12, 1980, Terry began his Marathon of Hope in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Terry ran for 143 days and covered 3,339 miles before he was forced to stop just outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario, because his cancer had spread to his lungs. He had to stop and return to British Colombia for treatment. On September 2, 1980, one day after Terry was forced to stop running, Chairman and CEO of the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts sent a telegram to the Fox family. He wrote, â€Å"You started it. We will not rest until your dream to find a cure for cancer is realized.† (terryfox.org) Terry received many awards for his efforts, among them are the Companion of the Order of Canada, The Order of the Dogwood award (British Columbia’s highest civilian award), the Lou Marsh Award for outstanding athletic accomplishment, and The Sword of Hope, given him by the American Cancer Society. Shortly before his death, Terry Fox 2 finally realized his dream. As the Canadian population reached 24.1 million, his Marathon of Hope fund reached $24.17 million.