Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - BHP Billiton sent a team to Edmonton last weekend to participate in the Alberta Cancer Foundation's Weekend to End Breast Cancer.

The eight-member team, known as the Olympic Goddesses, consisted of employees from the company.

Back row, from left, Rhona Stanislaus, Monique Nahanni, Deana Twissell, Denise Belliveau and Charity Clarkin. Front row, from left, Linda Sparks, Ria Mujcin and Kelly Clarke from BHP Billiton took part in the Weekend to End Breast Cancer in Edmonton. The group raised $39,336.02 - photo courtesy of BHP Billiton

The group walked 60 km over two days. Each team member had to raise a minimum of $2,000 each to qualify for the walk. The team walked a course that took them through parts of Edmonton.

The team raised more than $19,000, which BHP Billiton matched dollar for dollar. The total amount raised was $39,336.02.

This is the fourth annual Weekend to End Breast Cancer walk in Edmonton. In 2007, 1,321 walkers from Edmonton and 2,036 from Calgary raised $9.6 million. The walk has raised more than $17 million since it began.

The charity was of special interest to the team because of friends and family with breast cancer. One BHP Billiton employee was recently diagnosed and is undergoing treatment.

"One of our colleagues was diagnosed before Christmas," said Deana Twissell, a member of the team and BHP Billiton's Superintendent of External Affairs. "She underwent a double mastectomy in January. She has been taking chemo (chemotherapy) all these months. She is now finished her chemo and has started her radiation. She was in Edmonton and met us at the finish line."

The team name was chosen in connection to BHP Billiton's Olympic sponsorship.

"Supporting this charity is very important to us as individuals and as Northern women who know we must rely on services in Alberta to fund important breast cancer research, education, services and care," said Twissell. "Fundraising and volunteering our personal time is our way of supporting those stricken with this disease to fight it and find a cure."

More than 900 people took part in the walk. They camped in Callingwood Park on Saturday night and rested up for the final 30 km on Sunday.

The participants raised more than $2.1 million during the weekend's events.