Terry Fox and the origin of the Terry Fox Laboratory

The Terry Fox Monument at the foot of Robson Street in Vancouver. Stainless steel panels depict Terry Fox (below) as well as a map of Canada showing Terry's run.

After losing his right leg to cancer in 1977, Terry Fox decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. His Marathon of Hope began April 1980 in Newfoundland. With the recurrence of his cancer in September, Terry was forced to abandon his run near Thunder Bay Ontario. Before his death in June 1981, Terry's Marathon of Hope had raised over $24 million for cancer research.

For more information about Terry Fox and his legacy, consult the Terry Fox Foundation. Their web site includes biographical information on Terry Fox and the annual Terry Fox Run.

The establishment of the Terry Fox Laboratory as a new Unit in the British Columbia Cancer Research Centre was sparked with a donation in 1980 of $1,000,000 from the provincial government to the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope. This donation, together with subsequent generous contributions from the British Columbia Cancer Foundation, the Canadian Cancer Society, the British Columbia Cancer Agency, the P.A. Woodward Foundation, the British Columbia Order of the Eastern Star, the British Columbia Health Care and Research Foundation, the University of British Columbia, Mr. Joseph Cohen, the Variety Club, and members of the banking community, enabled the renovation and equipping of 20,000 square feet of modern laboratories.

The Terry Fox Laboratory is privileged to be one of only a handful of organisations permitted to use the Terry Fox name.