THUNDER BAY — The man who served as public relations officer for the Marathon of Hope and became a great friend of Terry Fox during his cross-country run in 1980 has passed away.
Bill Vigars died of heart failure in Vancouver last week at the age of 78.
During a visit to the Terry Fox Monument in Thunder Bay in 2022, Vigars recalled "I promised Terry that I'd keep him alive forever, and I love telling stories about Terry, and what it was like. For me, this is a very personal journey and I'm so happy to be in Thunder Bay again."
Up until this year, he continued to visit schools to talk to children about Fox in advance of the annual Terry Fox Run, a fundraiser that has raised more than $850 million for cancer research.
On social media, the Terry Fox Foundation posted a message stating "Our Terry Fox world is smaller and sadder with news of the death of Bill Vigars...He saw Terry at his most powerful, vulnerable and emotional. Bill succeeded at making Terry a relatable, accessible human being...This was the greatest gift he could give his beloved friend: a reminder that Terry was just one of us."
