Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise to talk about an important community event that took place here last Friday, Raven Mad Days. I would like to offer congratulations to Carol Van Tighem, who was the chief organizer, and her cast of volunteers, for what turned out to be a very good evening.
Mr. Speaker, Raven Mad Days started many years ago as a retail sale for just a few stores in town, but it has turned into, over several years, a real street festival. It now takes over more than just a few stores. It takes over the whole downtown.
There are thousands of people out enjoying street performers, musicians, food outlets, and also finding out about what is happening in town. It is an opportunity for groups to demonstrate what they do. For instance, during Mining Week, one of the highlights this year was the mining street as part of Raven Mad Days, which provided all sorts of interactive opportunities for people to find out about mining in the North.
Mr. Speaker, it is also an important fund-raising opportunity for several groups. For the past three years, one of the most popular fund-raising events has been Cops for Cancer, a close-shaved campaign. This national fund-raising campaign started in 1994 when several police officers in Edmonton shaved their heads in support of a five-year-old boy who had lost his hair when stricken with cancer.
Today, this special event calls upon members of the community to shave their heads or cut their hair and collect pledges to support the efforts of the Canadian Cancer Society to fight cancer.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the 30 people, one as young as five years old, who shaved their heads at Raven Mad Days this year. As you may have noticed, Mr. Speaker, two people who work in this building, Tom and Pam Williams, participated. I understand that they raised, between them, about $3,000 in pledges for this important event.
-- Applause
Mr. Speaker, I think the local hair salons who donate their hair-shaving and dyeing services deserve some mention. They are Essentials, Tangles, and Joie De Vivre. Last year, $27,000 was raised across the Northwest Territories by Cops for Cancer. This year, $19,000 has been raised thus far. I would encourage the public to continue making pledges so we can surpass last year's total. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.