Terry Fox Run marks 35 years at Confederation Bridge on Sunday

The Confederation Bridge will be closed to vehicles this Sunday as thousands of runners, all raising funds in the memory of Terry Fox, will cross the Northumberland Strait.

I know with every loonie and toonie we raise today we are saving lives in the future, and that was Terry's message to us back in 1980.- Darrell Fox

The bridge will be closed to traffic from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the 35th anniversary celebration of the Terry Fox Run.

Darrell Fox was with his older brother on the Marathon of Hope 35 years ago, and he'll be at the Confederation Bridge this Sunday.

"Terry is within me every day of my life, but it's certainly amplified at this time of year when I see so many people that are embracing the story. And it's wonderful to be part of that legacy and to reflect and to remember back to 1980 when I spent three months in a very stinky Ford van and had that opportunity to watch a miracle," Fox said in an interview with Island Morning host Matt Rainnie.

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"Not only did I watch Terry run for three months in 1980, I was able to watch a nation embrace my brother and you just can't get away from that ... Terry is very much alive and vibrant in so many people right now."

Fox said much has changed for the better over the past 35 years.

"If you look back to 1980, we didn't even talk about cancer. Terry wasn't aware of the disease until he was diagnosed. He had never heard of the word cancer before," he said.

"He wanted to show the impact cancer had on him and now look where we are. Lives are being extended, lives are being saved because of our investment in cancer research."

'I can't change history'

Nearly $700 million has been raised for cancer research in Terry Fox's name.

"I can't change history," Darrell Fox said. "I cannot change how cancer has impacted on my life. I've lost a brother, and even though it's been 34 years, it's still painful. But I know with every loonie and toonie we raise today we are saving lives in the future, and that was Terry's message to us back in 1980."

Laurel Lea with Strait Crossing, the company that operates the Confederation Bridge, said organizers are hoping as many as 10,000 runners will participate.

"It really does take a special person and something that everyone can relate to, that touches everyone, to allow us to say, 'Let's host this on the bridge,'" she said.

"Given the nature of the event, we get a lot of support."

Anyone who wants to participate in the run needs to pre-register by midnight Friday.