Jessica Klinkenberg
Northern News Services
Published Friday, September 28, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - They have lived through 25 winters and that is cause enough to celebrate.

Yellowknifers who have stuck it out that long will be celebrating their lives in the capital this weekend at the Adlair Hangar this Saturday.

Carolyn England, Connie Miller and Dusty Miller were the faces at the last 25 year reunion party in 2005. - NNSL file photo

"This year we're celebrating a little bit extra because of Yellowknife's anniversary of being the capital," said MaryAnne Woytuik, a member of the organizing committee.

Woytuik said the party grew out of a common interest in getting long-time Yellowknifers together for a happy occasion..

"It's actually nice to see some people stay here more than 25 years," she said. "It's always kind of too bad when we see long time Yellowknifers at events like a funeral."

The party draws families and some Yellowknifers come the year they turn 25 to celebrate that their entire life has been in the city.

"There's certainly a younger crowd coming," she said.

People are being asked to bring family photographs to the event to post on a wall.

They also have albums made up of every event, so that people can see who's there.

This year's celebration will see some changes, she said. There won't be door prizes or a live band.

"This year we're going to tone it down a bit," she said.

A DJ will play some quiet music during dinner and then turn it up a notch afterwards so that people can dance.

The event has raised more than $10,000 for the Stanton Hospital Foundation, and this year money will go to a dementia facility.