A group of Terry Fox Foundation supporters will come together at 7 a.m. on Aug. 20 for a hiking fundraiser to support cancer research.
During the trek, hikers can choose three routes of varying lengths to ascend Mount Terry Fox, just north of Valemount.
Fred Fox, Terry’s brother, is organizing the run.
“I don’t just say this because I’m Terry’s brother, but you can feel Terry every minute of the way up there,” he said.
The full journey typically takes 10 to 12 hours to complete and travels 18 kilometres through alpine streams and wildflower meadows, reaching 1,450 metre heights to breathtaking views.
Like the Terry Fox runs that happen all across the country, the project is meant to support the Terry Fox Foundation, which has raised $850 million and funded 1,300 research projects since its inception.
The hike attracts a different crowd than the runs, Fox said.
“We’re hitting a different demographic of folks that hopefully love to hike more than they like to run.”
The mountain peak was named in Terry’s honour in 1981, and the fundraiser first started on the 35th anniversary of Terry’s death.
The event has raised around $15,000 over the years to support various program grants across the country, and Fox is looking to increase that amount this year.
“Just like Terry — he was always looking to be better than the day before.”
Fox invites anyone that would like to join or learn more to visit the Terry Fox Trek website.
“It’s quite an emotional feeling once you get to the top.”
