On the road again: Cross-Canada fundraisers are popular — but are they effective?

Each year — usually during spring and summer — people make their way across the country, by foot or on bike, as a way to raise money and awareness for charity. 

But few campaigns have made a lasting impact since Terry Fox set out to run a marathon every day across the country — with an artificial leg — to raise money for cancer research.

Which raises the question: why do so many people do this every year?

Being the most easterly point in Canada, Newfoundland is usually the backdrop for either the start or finish line, which was the case for the Ride for Lyme in 2015.

Daniel Corso and Tanner Cookson of Ontario were among the many who cycled across the country that year for charity. The two spent two months raising awareness and money for the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation, a campaign that Corso reflects on today as a huge success.

"It feels like we did our job. You know, like really, it does feel like we were able to accomplish our goal in that two months,"Corso told CBC this month.

While there's no official count for just how many people do it, there's already been at least a handful or so of people to come through the province this year alone based on publicity, including Matthew Pike's ride in aid of the Children's Wish Foundation, which raised $30,000.

But not every campaign is that successful, or successful at all — at least according to Charity Intelligence Canada, which analyzes charities and helps guide donors with donations.

Greg Thomson is the director of research with the group and says if people really want to make a mark and raise money for a charity, it's best to stay home and drum up support locally.

"Problem is that most folks are not going to raise much money," he said. "They're going to raise a few thousand dollars and — I mean, certainly if they take their cost of that then it's a horribly ineffective method of fundraising."

For some groups the cross-Canada fundraiser starts off as a fitness challenge, and adding a good cause to the effort is secondary.

For others, it's inspired by Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope, which started in St. John's in April 1980. Fox died before he finished his journey across the country, but his legacy has yet to be touched. 

Fred Fox, Terry's brother, says it's incredible that many people are inspired by his brother but says it's a different time now, and it's difficult to stand out in a crowded market. 

"It's been 37 years, and because of social media and any kind of media attention that we have, maybe people feel there's too much of it to a saturation point at this point. It's going to be hard to ever accomplish what Terry did," Fox told CBC.

Modern efforts about awareness first

For Corso and the Ride for Lyme campaign, it was more about awareness than raising money. But things snowballed for the campaign, and they ended up raising more than $50,000, after their expenses were paid.

Corso says they stood out because of the motivation for their campaign, which was inspired by a lifelong friend, Adelaine Nohara, who contracted Lyme diseasein her early 20s.

"Once they hop on our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or our blog, and when they hear Adelaine's story especially, you know you can't help but be moved, right?"

Two years after Corso finished his ride, he says he'd do it again if there's a time in his life that allows him two months on the road, and he'd ride again in support of Lyme disease awareness.

While following Terry Fox's footsteps might not have the same financial impact — he raised more than $24 million for cancer research before he died — so awareness might have intangible results and long-lasting benefits.

And Fred Fox says that although you don't see the same amount of money raised today as was raised by his brother, Terry would think each effort is awesome.