Lighting a torch for Terry Fox at the 2010 Olympic games

Online petition "Terry Fox's mother to light the flame at the 2010 Olympics" surpasses 79,000 members on Thursday night and supporters for the cause are still pouring in.

The Facebook group was created urging Olympic organizers to let Betty Fox, mother of Terry Fox, light the flame on Feb.12. for the 2010 winter Olympics. Members of the group have been relentlessly rallying friends and family to e-mail VANOC officials about the idea. The Facebook group has been in existence for nearly a year but it only caught the attention of local and national media this week. It's been reported that the group went from 42,000 members on Tuesday and skyrocketed to over 76,000 members on Wednesday afternoon. There is no confirmation that Betty Fox will be an Olympic torchbearer. She says Olympic officials still haven’t contacted her about it. Other names rumored as possible torch lighters include wheelchair athlete Rick Hansen and former Vancouver Canuck captain Trevor Linden. Terry Fox was born in British Columbia, Canada. By 18, he was diagnosed with bone cancer and had his right leg amputated. In 1980, Fox set out across Canada for a Marathon of Hope - running to raise money for cancer research. After 143 days he was forced to quit because of his deteriorating health. He died at 22.