Celebrating one of the North's strangest events
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (May 04/01) - The boots were flying and the contestants were smiling last weekend at this year's 9th Annual Gumboot Rally.
Altogether, 16 teams gathered at the Yellowknife District No. 1 school board grounds Saturday, April 28 to fight it out for top boot honours in a wide range of competitions, including the fat waist contest (team with the widest body circumference wins) and catch-n-boots, where contestants' hand-and-eye co-ordination is put to the test trying to catch rubber duckies and various other items with a boot.
According to Lani Cooke, executive director for the Yellowknife Association for Community Living, the Gumboot Rally is more than just an excuse to get dressed up and compete in activities involving footwear.
As she says, the objective is to raise money so the association can hire job coaches for persons with learning disabilities when the Summer Cafe outside the Abe Miller Centre opens to the public for another season starting June 1.
"People are on these teams, but they're also going door to door collecting pledges and money," says Cooke.
This year, the rally raised almost $10,000 dollars for the association, including a $1,000 dollar donation from the BHP Ekati Rough Cuts.
Besides the much-touted ceramic gumboot given out to the team with the most points scored during the games, individual players raising the most money were awarded free plane tickets, courtesy of Canadian North.
Betty Vaughan raised the most money, and so she and a lucky friend will soon be off to any destination she chooses serviced by Canadian North. Bev Matthews received the runner-up prize with a trip for two to Edmonton.
Win or lose, for all the contestants, the fun of dressing up in outlandish outfits for the afternoon and simply showing their community support was all the reward they needed.
"It was just good to get out there and contribute time and energy for a very worthwhile cause," says Dan Curtis, captain of the Harem Scarem team, one of two teams representing Weledeh Catholic school this year.
The other Weledeh team, the Old Boots, much like a NHL squad loaded with veterans, shows that experience counts in capturing top honours and the ceramic boot in this year's rally.
"Having a lot of practice and their extensive involvement in the Gumboot Rally has done it again," Curtis adds.
