Maria Canton
Northern News Services

Pangnirtung (Jan 24/00) - Twelve Pangnirtung students are trying to raise between $25,000 and $30,000 so they can travel overseas this spring.

"We want to visit places like the Peterhead whaling museum and Dundee (in Scotland), where there is a whaling ship, the London archives, historical sites in Scotland and museums in Aberdeen," said Grade 12 student Rebecca Mearns.

"While there, we'll be able to learn more about the whalers who came to Pangnirtung."

The Grade 11 and 12 students at Attagoyuk school started fund-raising in the fall and have managed to raise $10,000 to date.

Grade 11 student Ray Netser, who has never been overseas, says the group regularly holds fund-raising activities such as dances and canteens.

"We're pretty much doing everything we can; there are certain nights that we get the community centre to hold dances and we have canteens and sell tickets for draws," said Netser.

Vice-principal Donald Mearns says the trip will not only be an educational and cultural experience for the students, but may also shed some light on the interaction between whalers from abroad and whalers in Pangnirtung.

"There are people in Pangnirtung who are related to whalers in the Peterhead area, and this trip may awaken some of those relations," said Mearns.

Even though the group wants to leave Pangnirtung in late April and return the week of May 8, Mearns says they have to have their money in place by Feb. 14 to buy discount airfares for the trip.

For the moment, the students are selling tickets for an elimination draw, with a first prize of $1,000.