Communities across Canada laced up Sunday to take part in the Terry Fox Run for its 46th year. Thousands of people in Canada took part, while more than three million people around the world have signed up for the fundraising challenge. The Terry Fox Foundation surpassed the $1-billion mark in fundraising earlier this year. On Sunday alone, participants raised more than $30-million for cancer research. Here are some of the people who ran for the Terry Fox Foundation Sunday -- and who they were holding close to their hearts as they crossed the finish line. Lovisa Percy 24-year-old Lovisa Percy attended her first Terry Fox Run this year at Wilket Creek Park in Toronto on Sunday, after her dad, Clifton, died of pancreatic cancer last year. “It’s just really hard. It’s coming up on a year that he passed away. So it’s really hard,” she said to CTV News through tears. Percy finished the run in just over 29 minutes and was able to raise $180 for cancer research, which she admits isn’t much, but says it’s a start as she hopes to return each year in his memory. “He would say he’s proud of me and he loves me very much -- and he’s proud of me showing up for myself and for him,” she said at the finish line. “I’ll be here every year I can be, and I’m glad to participate in anything that I can do and can contribute.” Jessie Alder Jessie Alder is Terry Fox’s niece and took part in the run in Vancouver’s Stanley Park -- saying the annual event is always very special for her family. “It feels a bit like Christmas for our family,” said Alder via Zoom to CTV News. “It’s absolutely incredible. I know the money is going to keep coming in all day long, but earlier this year we passed the $1 billion mark and that’s just such an incredible amount. “It’s going to impact really incredible cancer research -- but if Terry was here today, he would say $1 billion is an incredible amount, but we need more.” This year’s run came just one day after the documentary “Run, Terry, Run” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival -- creating added inspiration for Alder and others taking part. “I think it’s inspirational and definitely a bit of a boost for sure,” added Alder. “There was over 90 reels of unseen footage that was found of Terry, and I’ve had the opportunity to see the documentary a couple of times, and it’s just incredible the footage.” “It’s such a gift to be able to see that side of Terry and (these documentaries) are so important because it just ensures that his dream is going to continue and live on.” Domenico Meleca 19-year-old Domenico Meleca was diagnosed with the same form of cancer Terry Fox had just over two years ago -- and, like Fox, he had to have his right leg amputated. “I was diagnosed at 16 so it was very shocking,” Meleca told CTV News Sunday. “It was devastating and unexpected. When I was trying to figure out what was wrong with my leg, we went to a bunch of doctors. We never expected that it could be cancer, but ended up being cancer, so we had to rise to the challenge.” Speaking to the crowd at Wilket Creek Park in Toronto, Meleca said Fox’s determination was the driving force that kept him powering through his own cancer journey. “I learned about his story at a young age in school -- and when I learned that I had the same cancer as him, it inspired me because I saw his story and I said, if he can do it, then I can do it.” Meleca said his message to the public is to continue raising money for cancer research, because donations have helped fund advancements that eventually saved his life. Bill Pristanski Bill Pristanski, the former chair of the Terry Fox Foundation, has attended and raised money at each of the 46 annual runs that followed Fox’s Marathon of Hope in 1980. “I’m now over $1.5 million (raised), he told CTV News. “I have very generous friends.” Pristanski said he began attending the fundraisers in the 1980s because his mother was battling cancer at the time. She has since passed, but Pristanski still attends each year. “My mother had cancer while Terry was doing his run and she was fighting it -- and she saw him run through Sault Ste. Marie,” he added. “I think he motivated her to be confident and positive,” said Pristanski. “Unfortunately, at the age of 53, cancer took her life way too soon -- and so I run every year for my mom’s memory.” Jeff Fahrer Jeff Fahrer ran in the Uxbridge, Ont., Terry Fox Run Sunday -- a milestone for him because this is the year he reached his goal of raising $100,000 since he first began attending the annual fundraiser 28 years ago. The 50-year-old with special needs came into this year’s event nearly $10,000 shy of the mark, but credits his close community of friends and family with helping him reach his goal by Sunday. “The reason why I want to raise all that kind of money is so I can help a lot of other people, to make other people better,” Fahrer told CTV News. Fahrer said, although he began raising money for the Terry Fox Foundation nearly three decades ago, his fundraising efforts really ramped up after his dad died of cancer 14 years ago. “It feels really good to do something like this,” he added. “My mom’s really proud of me and everybody around town here is all really happy for me. All my family.”
