Yellowknife (Dec 15/04) - The fundraising wizards at BHP Billiton and Nav Canada received awards Friday for raising the most money for the Yellowknife Terry Fox Run.

BHP wins every year and those at the presentation weren't very surprised. None of the BHP representatives were even sure if this was the fourth or fifth consecutive year at the top of the fundraising heap.

With a grand total of $8,379, BHP blew the competition away. Bruce Hartery alone raised $340 in pledges. The second-place finisher in the overall category, the Workers' Compensation Board, raised $3,078.

Nav Canada won the per capita competition handily. With only five participants, the team raked in $2,144 in pledges -- around $429 per person. Second-place Diavik raised more, $2,878, but their nine participants translated into $319 each.

The Yellowknife Terry Fox Run, held in September, raised approximately $40,000 in pledges this year, according to co-ordinator Rob McPhee.

Final numbers are still pending, however, because donations made on-line or directly to the Terry Fox Foundation haven't yet been tabulated. The total will be known sometime next year.

McPhee said the overall number will still be in the $40,000 range, but short of his $50,000 goal.

Asked if that was a disappointment, McPhee said "not at all. If you shoot for the stars and reach the moon, it's still a great thing."

McPhee wouldn't say much about plans for next year, the 25th anniversary of Terry Fox's original run.

One possibility would be to challenge Edmonton, something Mayor Gord Van Tighem has supported in the past.

Edmonton raised around $60,000 in 2003.

"We're raising about $2 per capita and they're raising 10 cents," joked McPhee.

"It could be an eyebrow-raiser, a David and Goliath kind of thing."