Terry Fox Foundation receives $25 million donation, largest in its history The Larry and Judy Tanenbaum Family Foundation gives $25 million to the Terry Fox Foundation, unlocking federal matching funds for $50 million in cancer research, plus a new Powered by Terry campaign. The Terry Fox Foundation has received the largest single donation in its history: $25 million from the Larry and Judy Tanenbaum Family Foundation, announced Thursday in Toronto. Tanenbaum Family Donates $25 MillionThe commitment unlocks matching funds from the federal government, creating $50 million in funding for cancer research. Larry Tanenbaum, former chairman of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, said Terry Fox's determination inspired the gift. He recalled that Fox ran across Canada not for his own ego but to raise money to help conquer cancer. Tanenbaum said that although Fox did not make it across Canada, the run gave people motivation to finish the journey.Tanenbaum said the funding will support a national network of researchers across the country. He said sixty-some-odd institutions and 1,300 researchers across Canada will work for the same thing, sharing information on an open science basis. The goal is to connect cancer research efforts nationwide. When Terry Fox began his run in 1980, his goal was to raise $1 from every Canadian, about $24 million at the time.His brother, Fred Fox, said Terry's mission was simple: to fund more research into the disease that took his leg and later his life. Fred Fox said that when Terry was diagnosed in 1977, almost 50 years ago, as an 18-year-old, he did his own research and found that not a lot of money was being directed toward cancer research. He said survival rates are now much better for many different cancers.Precision Oncology Saves Patient Dan MurphyHe said that is why bringing researchers together, with people collaborating and sharing ideas, is so important, calling what they are doing amazing. Dan Murphy is an example of advances in cancer care. In 2023, the Toronto father was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest forms of the disease. Today, he lives a full life with the disease thanks to precision oncology, a personalized approach made possible by major strides in cancer research.Murphy said precision oncology treats patients at a biological and molecular level. He said his doctor was able to have his tumor sequenced in the early days and give him a treatment plan tailored for him. Because he responded well to that plan, he said, here he is today. Murphy has been receiving treatment at the Princess Margaret Cancer Care Centre in Toronto, one of the largest in the world.He hopes the funding announced Thursday will ensure people across Canada have access to state-of-the-art treatment regardless of where they live. He said it should not matter that he lives in Toronto and that everybody should have access to the treatments, technology and innovations in science that he is benefiting from. Doctors say this donation will ensure new research, knowledge and treatment options are shared across the country.Researchers Share Data NationwideDr. Marco Marra, the Terry Fox Leader in Cancer Genome Science, said data made available in British Columbia ought to be available to people in Montreal and the Atlantic. He said it needs to be available for everyone and that researchers must mine that data as aggressively as possible in search of solutions. That, he said, is how the job will get done.The Terry Fox Foundation also unveiled a new campaign slogan and video Thursday called Powered by Terry, the second chapter in the Finish It campaign. The launch included a new handcrafted claymation film that begins when Terry's marathon ended and features the many people across the country who have carried his legacy ever since.Nadine Caron Calls for Finish It CampaignNadine Caron, a surgical oncologist, said every Canadian either has had cancer, knows a loved one with cancer, has lost loved ones to cancer, or is scared they will fall into one of those categories. She said it is something that binds people in Canada and that we need to jump into that space and finish it.The donation marks a major milestone for the foundation named after Terry Fox, whose Marathon of Hope in 1980 sought to raise $1 from every Canadian. Fox died in 1981 at age 22, but his legacy has continued to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for cancer research. The new funding aims to accelerate collaboration among researchers and improve access to advanced care for patients nationwide.