In support of the annual Alaska Run for Women, the Pebble Partnership organized and hosted a simultaneous satellite event June 12, 2010, in Iliamna, Alaska, to coordinate with the popular race that raises funds each June for breast cancer awareness. Seventy percent of the funds raised during this event stay in Alaska.
Fifty-five local residents and Pebble Partnership employees participated in the satellite Iliamna event, which honored local resident Jennifer Hornberger Jones, who recently passed away from breast cancer. Jones’ mother, Funa Hornberger, a breast cancer survivor, walked the event in Iliamna. An additional 20 Pebble Partnership employees and family members participated in the Anchorage event. The combined Iliamna and Anchorage team totaled 75 participants. The “Pebble Rockettes,” represented the second largest team entry overall out of more than 200 teams entered in the 2010 Alaska Run for Women – the largest number of team entries in the event’s history.
The 5-mile Iliamna course, coordinated by Pebble Partnership employee, Martha Anelon, started at the Weathered Inn, moved around the lake loop and ended at the Lake Lodge, where refreshments were provided by the Pebble Partnership for participants. Local healthcare providers from Iliamna provided free material and information regarding breast cancer awareness for participants, friends and family at the end of the race.
“This is an important health issue for women overall, and especially critical to ensure information is available in rural Alaska,” said event coordinator, Martha Anelon. “The local event was a way to not only bring awareness of the disease to our community, but to also honor someone directly in our community who fought a courageous battle.”
To participate in the Iliamna satellite event, runners and walkers pre-registered for the Alaska Run for Women in the untimed 5-mile category. Bib pick-up for the Iliamna registrants was handled by the Pebble Partnership Anchorage office, which couriered the bibs to Iliamna and provided t-shirts for all registered participants.
A record field was recorded at the 2010 Alaska Run for Women with more than 7,100 participants, marking it as one of the top three women’s events in the country. A record number of breast cancer survivors participated in the 2010 event, 379, and more than $200,000 was raised in participant donations setting yet another event record. To date, the Alaska Run for Women has raised more than $2.5 million for breast cancer awareness programs.
The Pebble Project is located in Southwest Alaska on state land designated for mineral exploration and development. It is situated approximately 1,000 feet above sea-level and 65 miles from tidewater on Cook Inlet. The Pebble Partnership was established in July 2007 as a 50:50 partnership between Anglo American plc and Northern Dynasty Minerals.