Ahead of the 44th anniversary of Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope, The Royal BC Museum has revealed plans to showcase a special collection of Terry’s personal belongings.
“For 44 years, Terry Fox has been an inspiration to Canadians and we are thrilled to be entrusted with the stewardship of this important collection,” says Tracey Drake, CEO of the Royal BC Museum.
Teaming up with the Terry Fox Center, the museum has announced a significant 20-year collaboration aimed at honouring his enduring legacy.
With artifacts from Terry Fox and the Marathon of Hope, the Royal BC Museum will help tell the Canadian icon’s story and, ultimately, share his dream of raising money for cancer research.
Royal BC Museum
“Terry is not with us physically, but his shoes, leg, sock and Marathon of Hope t-shirts, together with thousands of other artifacts, will inspire future generations to pursue their dreams while giving back,” Terry’s brother Darrell Fox said in a press release.
The collection features iconic items worn by Terry Fox during his daily marathons, including his shoes and prosthetic leg, alongside the van he, Doug, and Darrell slept in during their journey. It also includes letters from schoolchildren inspired by Terry.
The exhibit will showcase the Terry Fox Foundation’s work and cancer research innovations from the Terry Fox Research Institute. It will motivate visitors to continue Terry’s legacy by offering an immersive experience of his values and transformative inspiration.
The museum is currently assessing the collection, but The Marathon of Hope van will be in the museum’s lobby from now until the second week of May.
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Terry fought hard for cancer awareness, but unfortunately, his battle with cancer tragically ended on September 1, 1980, in Thunder Bay, Ontario, 5,373 km from his starting point.
Terry has been commemorated in a variety of ways across Canada, including Victoria, where a bronze statue stands at Mile Zero in Beacon Hill Park.
The exhibit might be familiar to those in Victoria because many items were previously showcased in the Terry Fox: Running to the Heart of Canada exhibition at the Royal BC Museum in 2017.
Immersed in Terry’s remarkable story, the hope is that guests will emerge with a renewed sense of purpose to carry forward the BC icon’s dream of defeating cancer.