TERRY FOX RUN HOUSTON 2022

Organized by the Canadian Club of Houston

In benefit of The Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine cancer research programs.

About the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center:

The Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center is a comprehensive cancer center designated by the National Cancer Institute. The DLDCCC combines all our cancer research and treatment capabilities under one umbrella. The comprehensive designation was achived through their significant accomplishments in career enhancement (education of future doctors and scientists) and community outreach to reduce health disparities and improve survival from cancer, especially in underserved populations.

The Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center has organized its research activities into seven programs to enhance interactions between investigators:

-Cell Signaling and Metabolism (CSM)

-Mechanisms in Cancer Evolution (MCEP)

-Nuclear Receptor, Transcription and Chromatin Biology (NRTCB)

-Breast Cancer Program

-Cancer Cell and Gene Therapy Program

-Pediatric Cancer Program

-Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences Program

These programs are supported by many sources of funding including philanthropy but are primarily funded through competitive research grants from the NCI and other institutes of the NIH.

About Terry Fox:

“I’ve said to people before that I’m going to do my very best to make it, I’m not going to

give up. But I might not make it… if I don’t, the Marathon of Hope better continue.”

Terry Fox lost his leg to osteogenic sarcoma at age 18, underwent 16 months of treatment and found he could not ignore the suffering he witnessed in the cancer wards. Terry decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research in a Marathon of Hope. He wasn’t doing the run to become famous; he wanted to create change and fund a cure for all cancers. Terry ran close to 42 kilometres (26 miles) a day through Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario. He ran through snow, rain, wind, heat, humidity. He stopped in more than 400 towns, schools and cities to talk about why he was running. He started at 4:30am in the morning, and often did not finish his last mile until 7pm at night. Sometimes Terry and Doug, his best friend and driver, would sleep in the van because they could not afford a place to stay. Some days hundreds of people cheered him on; other days he was alone on the road, and no money was raised. But Terry never gave up hope that Canadians would respond to his story, to his effort…and he was right. Terry entered Ontario on June 28th the whole country was cheering him on and donating to cancer research.

On September 1st, after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres (3,339 miles), Terry was forced to stop running outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario. The only thing that could have stopped him did: cancer had appeared in his lungs. Even from Terry’s hospital bed, he continued to talk about the importance of donating to cancer research. He asked Canadians to continue to support his Marathon of Hope; he hoped his second diagnosis would help everyone understand that cancer could happen to anyone, even someone who had just raised over $1.7 million for research.

Terry died on June 28, 1981 at the age 22. Before his death on June 28, 1981, Terry had achieved his once unimaginable goal of $1 from every Canadian. This bold and courageous Canadian was gone, but his legacy was just beginning. To date, over $850 million has been raised for cancer research in Terry’s name through the annual Terry Fox Run, held across Canada and around the world.

The Event:

When: Saturday November 12, 2022

Where: Stude Park Community Centre, 1031 Stude Street, Houston TX 77007

Time: Warm up 8:30, Flag off at 9am

https://www.bcm.edu/academic-centers/dan-l-duncan-comprehensive-cancer-center

https://terryfox.org/  

https://www.facebook.com/terryfoxrunhouston