Toronto, ON, April 12, 2024 – On this day in 1980, Terry Fox set out on his iconic Marathon of Hope, remaining steadfast in his pursuit of raising funds for cancer research by running a marathon a day for 143 consecutive days. Forty-four years later, as registration opens for the annual Terry Fox Run, the Terry Fox Foundation is introducing a motivating initiative inspired by his determination – No Matter What.

“Joining my brother Terry on his Marathon of Hope in 1980 and witnessing his unwavering courage and perseverance has remained one of the most memorable and profound experiences of my life,” says Darrell Fox, Senior Advisor for the Terry Fox Research Institute. “Terry’s story is a great source of inspiration for many people around the world because of his incredible determination to achieve ambitious goals, help others, and make a difference by raising funds for cancer research, no matter what.”

The Terry Fox Foundation is asking Canadians to register today and start fundraising for the 44th annual Terry Fox Run and share their commitment to the cause on social media using the hashtag #NoMatterWhat and tagging @terryfoxfoundation.

For one day only on April 12, all participants and supporters can kickstart their fundraising with a matching gift opportunity. General donations and peer-to-peer fundraising for the Terry Fox Run, including self-sponsored gifts on personal fundraising pages, will be matched by PharmaChoice Canada for twice the impact on cancer research up to $100,000.

“We are grateful to the many Canadians that support the Terry Fox Foundation every year,” says Michael Mazza, Executive Director of the Terry Fox Foundation. “While cancer remains the leading cause of death in Canada, extraordinary research advances over the last four decades have dramatically improved cancer diagnoses, treatments, and outcomes.”

Last month, the Terry Fox Foundation released a limited-edition shirt for the 2024 Terry Fox Run, in partnership with beloved Canadian actor, Ryan Reynolds, that celebrates Terry’s #NoMatterWhat spirit. In just over one month, more than 25,000 shirts have been sold and the launch campaign has raised nearly $1 million for cancer research to date.

Canadians can register for this year’s run, purchase a limited edition #NoMatterWhatShirt and kick start their fundraising efforts now. All proceeds support cancer research in Canada and there are no registration fees to join. Participants are welcome to walk, run, blade, skate or wheel in the Terry Fox Run. To learn more, find a run in your community, volunteer as a Run Organizer, create a Team or register to fundraise, please visit terryfox.org.