Issy Sharp was one of the first corporate sponsors when Terry Fox began his courageous Marathon of Hope in 1980. Despite having lost a leg to cancer, Terry was proposing to run across Canada, from coast to coast, to raise money for cancer research.
Long before Terry's run captured the imagination of the country, Sharp pledged $10,000 to Terry's cause, and personally wrote to another 999 Canadian corporations to urge them to do the same.
However, after 143 days – with Terry running a marathon a day – Terry's cancer returned and he was forced to stop before completing his challenge.
Sharp immediately sent a telegram to the Fox family to promise that an annual run would be held in Terry's name. Terry pinned Issy's telegram to his hospital bed – and had its message read out to Canadians on national television.
Four Seasons then worked closely with the Canadian Cancer Society and other sponsors to plan the first Terry Fox Fun Run in 1981. It drew more than 300,000 Canadian participants and raised $3.2 million.
Afterwards, Four Seasons took the challenge overseas to introduce Terry Fox Runs to every city in which its hotels operate. Four Seasons employees have raised millions of dollars for cancer research. Held each September in more than 50 countries, the Terry Fox Run is now the world's largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research. By 2008, it had raised over $450 million worldwide.