HCM CITY — The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in HCM City (CanCham) Việt Nam on Wednesday announced that its annual Terry Fox Run (TFR), which raises awareness about and raises funds for cancer research, will take place next month in HCM City’s District 7.

The 22nd annual Terry Fox Run Việt Nam will be held on November 18 at 8am at Tân Trào Street in the Phú Mỹ Hưng new residential area.

The event, which has been held in Việt Nam for more than two decades, will donate funds to an international pediatric oncology hematology programme in Việt Nam.

The programme supports the children’s hospital system throughout the country via the HCM City University of Medicine and Pharmacy and international experts, and their university hospitals. 

It also aims to establish clinical and research capability within the Việt Nam system for children with cancer. 

Cancer is one of the most common diseases in Việt Nam, with an increasing number of younger patients, including children.

Việt Nam each year detects more than 126,000 cancer cases, and sees 94,000 deaths from cancer, according to the Ministry of Health.

Speaking at a press conference held on Wednesday in the city, Antony Nezic, co-chair of TFR Việt Nam, said: “We encourage all companies, schools, communities, families and individuals to once again join us on the 5km run by walking, running, or via wheelchair.

“The only purpose of the TFR is to come together, raise awareness, and donate funds for cancer research,” he told the media. 


Last year, TFR Việt Nam was again the biggest international TFR in the world, attracting more than 22,000 participants and raising over VNĐ2.6 billion (US$112,000).

TFR is a non-competitive event where people get together as individuals, families, or groups to raise money for cancer research in Terry’s name. 

It is a day of celebrating Terry’s legacy and helping to keep alive his dream of finding a cure for cancer. 

The event, which is no longer just a Canadian tradition, is organised in more than 30 countries, and in thousands of locations in Canada and the US. 

To date, over $750 million has been raised worldwide for cancer research in Terry’s name. 

Terry Fox grew up near Vancouver, British Columbia. As an active teenager involved in many sports, Terry was only 18 years old when he was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma (bone cancer) and forced to have his right leg amputated 15cm above the knee in 1977. 

While in hospital, Terry was so overcome by the suffering of other cancer patients, many of them young children, that he decided to run across Canada from coast to coast to raise money for cancer research. 

He called his journey the Marathon of Hope. Terry Fox ran almost 42km a day through eastern Canada, Quebec and Ontario. 

However, after 143 days and 5,373km, Terry was forced to stop running outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario because his cancer had returned. He passed away in 1981 at the age of 22. — VNS