In 1980, as Terry Fox made his way across Ontario on his Marathon of Hope, he was escorted by an iconic police vehicle familiar to millions of Canadians.
Forty-five years later, the same type of cruiser 鈥� a Chevy Caprice 鈥� welcomed brother Darrell Fox of Chilliwack and his cycling team as they made their way east across Ontario on Day 15 of their 32-day, 7,000-kilometre, cross-Canada fundraiser.
Called the National Ride of Hope, the team of eight riders is made up of two people from Chilliwack 鈥� Fox and Juschka Clarke 鈥� plus two others from B.C., one from Manitoba, and three from Eastern Canada. They left Vancouver on June 9 and have been pedalling approximately 220 kilometres every day. They're cycling for 32 straight days.
鈥淎s (Darrell Fox) enters Ontario, this vehicle and the OPP will be proud to support him, just as they supported Terry 45 years ago,鈥� the OPP stated in a video posted on social media on June 20.
The team crossed the Manitoba-Ontario border on June 20, and on Monday (June 23) they were met and escorted by the Ontario Provincial Police, and its vintage cruiser 鈥� a 1989 Chevy Caprice. The 36-year-old police car followed the riders for about 80 kilometres from Shebandowan, Ont. to the Terry Fox Memorial in Thunder Bay.
"Terry was forever grateful for the support he received in 1980 from the OPP and the friendships he made with OPP officers who took care of him," Darrell wrote on social media.
"The tailwind ride in was magical, and it felt like we were being protected and powered by Terry today," Darrell wrote on June 23. "We were all overwhelmed with emotion arriving at this beautiful tribute to Terry."
To donate to the National Ride of Hope team, go to .
