2026 Winner

Marking the 45th anniversary of Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope, the Terry Fox Foundation set out to re-engage donors and drive fundraising by turning cultural momentum into action. The strategy built on the emotional response to the campaign film featuring a reimagined version of “Courage” by The Tragically Hip, performed by Gord Downie, which prompted widespread public demand for a full release. Instead of a traditional rollout, the track was transformed into a fundraising mechanism: a limited-edition 45-rpm vinyl, released 45 years after the Marathon of Hope and available only through donation via the Foundation’s email list. With just 2,000 copies and no paid media or retail distribution, the release created urgency through scarcity and cultural significance, selling out in under 30 minutes. The activation contributed to a record-breaking year, driving a 230% increase in donations, a 1,916% spike in website traffic, a 14% lift in awareness of the Foundation’s research role and a surge in new participation.

Credits

Finish It: The 45th Aniversary 45 — CREDITS CLIENT: TERRY FOX FOUNDATION AGENCY: DIAMOND Diamond — Agency (Toronto, Canada)
Peter Ignani - Chief Creative Officer (Diamond)
Jordan Cohen — Creative Director (Diamond)
Jordan Cohen — Writer (Diamond) Mark Holden — Creative Director (Diamond)
Mark Holden — Art Director (Diamond)
Evelyn Wong — Designer (Diamond)
Lori Davison — Chief Strategy Officer (Diamond)
Erin Banting — Vice President, Strategy(Diamond) Josh Diamond President(Diamond) Lorri MacDonald — Managing Director(Diamond)
Rebecca Flaman — Executive Vice President, Client Partner(Diamond)
Larissa Varga — Program Director, Enterprise(Diamond)
Mark Graham — Head of Production, Video & Content (Diamond)
Terry Fox Foundation — Client(Toronto, Canada)
Denise Dias - Chief Marketing & Communications Officer (Terry Fox Foundation) Melissa Woudstra — Digital Marketing Manager (Terry Fox Foundation)
Liam Hlynialuk — Manager, Marketing & Communications (Terry Fox Foundation)
Kris Wallace — Senior Writer, Marketing & Communications (Terry Fox Foundation) Justine Moore — Designer, Marketing & Communications (Terry Fox Foundation) Walker — Music & Sound(Toronto, Canada) Sara Matarrazzo — Managing Director(Walker) Stephanie Pigott — Senior Executive Producer (Walker)
Danielle Soury — Senior Producer(Walker) Jonas Bonnetta — Cover Arrangement (Walker) Agnostic — PR(Toronto, Canada)
Sarah Crabbe — President(Agnostic)
Sherri-Lyn Brown — SVP, Consumer(Agnostic)
Mackenzie Biddie — Associate Director(Agnostic)
Jessica Hoffeldt — Senior Account Manager(Agnostic)
Alex Wilcox — Account Manager(Agnostic)
Ricardo Fartura — Account Executive(Agnostic)