KANGIQLINIQ/ RANKIN INLET
Rankinmiut were out in full force to take part in the community's annual spring clean-up on June 23.

Johnny Ell cleans up around the cemetery as part of Rankin's community clean-up on June 23. - Cody Punter/NNSL photo

Dozens of people signed up for the chance to win a flight for two people to anywhere that Calm Air flies in return for filling up four bags of trash.

The competition was only eligible to people ovetr 16 but after walking around town it was clear there were lots of younger ones chipping in along the side of the road.

Kandace Kusugak, the economic development officer for the hamlet, said she was proud to so many people come out for the annual clean-up.

"It was a great community effort. Everyone worked together and you could just see the teamwork out there," she said.

Some businesses and employers gave their employees time off in the afternoon to take part in the clean-up but Kusugak said even people who didn't get time off were doing their part.

She said it was especially heartening to see so many children cleaning up in the streets even though they weren't eligible for the prize.

"You could tell those kids already have a sense of community pride," she said.

A couple of hours after the clean-up finished, Harry Adams was announced at the winner of the Calm Air tickets.

Adams, who has worked as a custodian at Simon Alaittuq School for more than a decade, told Kivallqiu News he was shocked to have won when he came to pick up his prize on Monday.

"I'm excited. It's the first time I've won plane tickets," he said.

Adams hasn't considered where he will fly to yet.

For him the most important thing was to see the community looking good.

"It was a lot of work but we got to get it done," he said.

Kusugak said it was fitting that a good person like Adams won the tickets.

"It's kind of ironic that he's a custodian and after all these years his hard work has paid off," she said.

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