Debates of October 20, 2004 (day 24)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as many Members are aware, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As it has for the last 13 years in Canada, and for the 11th year in Yellowknife, CIBC Run for the Cure was held on October 3rd of this year. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to also advise you that this year CIBC Run for the Cure was held in many of our northern sister communities including Inuvik, Iqaluit, Hay River, Rankin Inlet, Norman Wells, Fort Simpson, and Fort Smith. Once again, Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report to you that Yellowknife has kept up with its reputation for breaking all records in terms of most money raised on a per capita basis. The final tally of money raised this year was almost $200,000, at $199,969 to be exact, and still counting. The students from J.H. Sissons, St. Pat’s, and N.J. Macpherson alone raised over $18,000. I know that my own school of Range Lake North raised a lot of money as well, although, due to their small size in numbers of students, they couldn’t be in the top three.

Mr. Speaker, for the Women’s Challenge Award, which is a category for any women’s team consisting of more than 10 women, the team that raised most money again this year, and for many years before, is a team called Girl Power, which is a team made mostly of Grade 6 school girls headed up by Brooke Madsen and Dana Harris. They alone raised over $12,000. Mr. Speaker, they have been winning for a number of years. I know that for two weeks they went out every day knocking on doors asking for money for this. They were raking in about $200 a day. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to make special mention of Great Slave Helicopters and its team captain Trudy Wesnowski whose team won the CIBC Corporate Challenge Award for raising $12,416. In individual categories, Trudy Wesnowski and Patti Olexin-Lang collectively raised over $12,000.

Mr. Speaker, there are so many winners, sponsors, volunteers and many leaders behind this project that I could not name all of the names at this time, but on behalf of everyone in this House, I would like to send genuine and heartfelt thanks to all of those who were involved for another successful event. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause