The Terry Fox Van

Jeff and I headed back into town after work today to see the van that Terry Fox lived in for 4.5 months in 1980 during his Marathon of Hope.

If you don’t know who Terry Fox was – please read his story – http://www.terryfoxrun.org/english/about%20terry%20fox/default.asp?s=1

This 1980 Ford Econoline van was often seen behind Terry as he ran a marathon a day with his prosthetic leg. The van was used to carry supplies, monitor Terry’s running mileage, collect donations and slow down traffic.

The van was recently found in Vancouver. It had been used by a vacationing couple for awhile, and then a heavy metal band toured with it. It was relatively unchanged in all those years, but it was on the way to the junkyard. It was completely rusted out in the bottom.

Ford Canada put in 1,000 hours to totally restore the van. They dismantled and reassembled every piece of the van.

I was a little disappointed by the small turnout, but maybe this trip will be like the Marathon of Hope – it also started with smaller crowds here in the east. Hopefully by the time the van arrives in Ontario there are bigger crowds and bigger donations.

Here are some of the photos we took:

Here is the van coming up Main Street:

Fred Fox, Terry Fox’s brother, has been travelling in the van since they began in Newfoundland. He will be with the van into New Brunswick. He spoke a few words to us and talked to the media, posed for photos with families, and with an elderly man who posed for his photo with Terry in front of the same van on the same spot on the street back in 1980.

Can you imagine living in here?

I’d want a far more comfortable mattress to rest on after I just ran a marathon, and had to run another one in the morning.

The M.C. wanted to pose for my picture. I have no idea who he was.

Look at the dash board! I hope they make it to the Pacific!