Now a decade old, the annual Humpy Run down the Kitwanga River in Kitwanga located between Terrace and the Hazeltons just off of Hwy 16 continues to raise money for a emergency services building to house a fire-fighting vehicle and ambulance and also living quarters for ambulance personnel.
Coloured and numbered wooden cut outs of a humpy, the name given to male pink salmon who develop a humped back during spawning season, are floated down the Kitwanga River. Those who buy tickets matching the numbers on the cut outs win prizes if their fish are the first to cross a finish line.
This year's Humpy Run on Sept. 7 had more than 165 participants, a large increase over the 100 people who took part last year.
"We welcomed people from Kitimat, Prince Rupert and other communities for the first time," said Lise Eccelstone from the Kitwanga Community Association.
"We have achieved enormous success through events such as the Humpy Run and with the support of the community at large including folks from surrounding Terrace, Smithers, Kitimat, Hazelton, Prince Rupert and all smaller communities including Gitanyow, Gitwangak, Gitsegukla, Gitanmaax, Wet’suwet’en and Kispiox to name a few," she added.
This year $12,600 was raised, adding to the more than $400,000 in cash and commitments gathered to date.
Still, the association will require substantial grant assistance from senior governments to achieve its goal and it continues to search for and then apply to various grant programs.
As an example of widespread interest in the Humpy Run, this year's first prize winner of $1,000 went to Paul McBeth of Gibsons who was in the area mushroom picking. And a third prize of large bear resistant cooler went to a Vernon resident.
The association is now selling firewood and will soon be promoting its annual November silent auction.
