Terry Fox Run sees Boost in Online Donations and Virtual Participants

On Sept. 19, 2021, the annual Terry Fox Run was held across Canada with some participants running in both in-person events in provinces where COVID-19 restrictions allowed, while other Canadians participated virtually in individual or group walks for a second consecutive year due to COVID-19. In 2020, all Terry Fox Runs were virtual, but in 2021, New Brunswickers were able to go to organized runs in some parts of the province.

"This year is a little bit different because we are in the Green level of recovery here in New Brunswick," says Gwen Smith-Walsh, the foundation’s provincial director in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. "Some of our runs our virtual and some are in person, depending on which corner of the province you are in.

Smith-Walsh says the Terry Fox Foundation, like other charitable organizations during the pandemic, saw a drop in fundraising efforts in 2020 due to the pandemic and the lack of door-to-door fundraising combined with a drop in organized community runs.

“We raised $18 million last year, but we usually raise between $24 million to $25 million range,” says Smith-Walsh.

Smith-Walsh says that, despite a drop in funds, the pandemic led to a significant rise in the number of online donations the Terry Fox Foundation has been receiving, a change that could have positive fundraising benefits in the years to come. Without relying entirely on door-to-door fundraising, a strong online component to fundraising could mean Canadians and non-Canadians alike from across the globe can donate to the organization at any time and also participate in the walk virtually by doing their own Terry Fox Run no matter where in the world they happen to be.

"The silver lining is it's not our usual donors and participants anymore; we've evolved," says Smith-Walsh.