It’s good to remember him, but don’t forget Terry Fox’s goals of his legendary cross-country run said Haliburton’s Terry Fox Run organizer.

Walter Tose said two things Fox wanted to accomplish through the Run: awareness of the need to support cancer research and raising money for cancer research.

Dubbed the Marathon of Hope, the Terry Fox Run has stood as a testament to human courage, spirit and determination.

In 1980, Terry Fox set out to run across the country on a prosthetic leg and wished to raise $1 for each Canadian in hopes of raising money for cancer research. He ran close to a marathon a day for 143 days before he was forced to stop because of cancer in his lungs. He died shortly after from the cancer, but his hope to raise money and awareness lives on in the Run that has been carried on with 9,000 Runs in 25 countries around the world.

Tose encourages people to do more than just remember Fox’s accomplishment with the upcoming event in Haliburton at 12 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 16.

“What we really need to do is raise money for the cause,” he said. “Terry’s message was you have to continue on I’m not going to be here anymore. We have to try and increase money for cancer research.”

Tose, a retired Haliburton Highlands Secondary School teacher, took the reigns of the event from his wife and long-time Run organizer Aggie Tose.

Participants can run, walk or bike and will have the option to complete one lap (five km) or two (10 km) starting at the Village of Haliburton town docks to a signed route around Head Lake. The course will be a mix of paved paths, unpaved trails and roads.

With no minimum and no entry fee, there is little excuse not to participate, Tose said.

Even for him asking for money is difficult, but he will go to all of his family and friends, as the cause is more important than personal challenges.

“If you get 10 people to give you $10 or 10 people to give you $20 [and] if everybody participating did that we could raise a lot more money than we have,” he said.

His goal is to raise $4,000, which is slightly higher than the $3,500 average for the past few years, he said.

“I’d be thrilled if that [goal] was doubled,” he said.

He adds this is not a competition of what a town raises. All of the Run events  contribute to the fight against cancer.

The Terry Fox Foundation, who work in support of Fox’s legacy, has contributed to a number of large institutions such as the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, the Ontario Cancer Institute and Sunnybrook Hospital to name a few.

He said 84 cents of every dollar raised goes to cancer research.

Close to $25 million was raised by Canada last year and more than $600 million raised since the Run started in 1980.

Besides participation, donations can be made at terryfox.org or by phone (1-888-836-9786) or text with the message “terryfox” to 45678 for a $5 donation.

Although Tose said he’s secured volunteers there is room for more.

Contact him at wtose@sympatico.ca or (705) 457-4514.

This past week he lost a friend to cancer, who died suddenly. It was a shock and a reminder how cancer seemingly touches everyone.

“Pretty much everybody has a story to tell about being affected by someone they know whether friend or family member,” he said.

He adds it was something Fox always stressed, which was every little bit helps.

The fight goes on, but the money raised is making a difference.

Tose said survival rates in the last 40 years for stomach cancer has gone up to 40 per cent from 15 per cent, kidney cancer is now more than 70 per cent from 40 per cent, colon rectal cancer is more than 70 per cent from 35 per cent, including breast cancer which is more than 90 per cent.

“Supporting the Terry Fox Run does make a difference,” he said.