Rankin Inlet (July 21/04) - A group of Rankin Inlet youth are all wet after winning a pair of Nunavut Day contests.

The contests were sponsored by the Pulaarvik Kablu Friendship Centre's Youth Outreach program, and offered prizes from the swimming pool for the top wall hangings and igaaq (traditional sunglasses) submitted.

Brandon Oolooyuk, 10, took first place in the Nunavut Day wall-hanging contest in Rankin Inlet. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo

Brandon Oolooyuk, 10, took top prize for the best wall hanging, while Miranda Aupilardjuk took second and Iris Tatty third.

For the best igaaq, Stewart Aggark, 13, took top honours, while Rebecca Anderson, 10, placed second and Julianne Uttak, 9, came third.

The winners in each category received a family pass to the swimming pool, good for the entire summer.

The second-place finishers received a VIP pool pass, which entitles them and a friend to go to the front of the line all summer long.

The third-place winners each received a single pool pass good for the entire season.

Youth counsellor Daniel Guay says the Youth Outreach program tries to solve problems youth struggle with in the community.

He says one way the program does that is by bringing youth together with elders and older members of their family to spend some quality time together.

Staff members came up with two Nunavut Day contests to fit that mandate.

Youth who entered the contests had to team up with an older member of their family to produce either igaaq or a wall hanging.

"The idea behind the contest was to get families to spend time together, which is one of the top priorities of our Youth Outreach program," says Guay.

"It's always fun to make something with your parents or grandparents, and it also helps to develop that special bond between family members."

A total of nine entries were received in the contest, with four entered in the igaaq contest and five in the wall hanging. "The centre youth co-ordinator, Noah Tiktak, deserves a lot of credit for this project.

"It was a great idea, and the prizes coming from the swimming pool really added to the whole family spirit of the event," says Guay.