Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Jan 05/00) - A cranky Old Man Winter did his best to throw a damper on this year's festive gatherings in Rankin Inlet.

Blizzard or near blizzard conditions rocked the hamlet for most of the past two weeks.

But try as he may, only a couple of events were cancelled due to the weather conditions, although many outside activities scheduled as part of the Christmas Games were moved indoors.

Rankin recreation director Rick Denison said the bad weather didn't negatively impact the games that much.

He said the biggest changes stemmed from having to hold some events inside.

"Surprisingly, we still had a very good turnout despite the weather conditions," said Denison.

"Indoors, we had to go with larger types of group activities like the dice game, relays, that sort of thing, rather than individual events."

Denison said while some events -- such as the local cadet's Loonie Shoot slated for this past Wednesday -- were cancelled, all the hamlet-sponsored events went pretty much as planned.

He said the Christmas Games always present an organizational challenge and this year was no exception.

"We made a conscious effort this year not to let the prize levels get too exorbitant.

"We went with mostly cash this year, keeping first-place prizes in the $20 to $30 range."

While the Christmas Games are the focus of the hamlet during the holiday season, they weren't the only festive event taking place.

There were a number of events held for the elders, such as the Christmas Feast at the Siniktarvik Hotel sponsored by the health centre.

One of the more successful individual events held during the holidays was the Pancake Brunch.

The fund-raiser was organized by the Christmas Games Committee, with CIBC staff serving the elders after Siniktarvik staff had prepared the meal.

The Pancake Brunch generated $491 for the Deacon's Cupboard Food Bank in Rankin.

"Overall, I'd say things went pretty well this year, especially in light of the weather," said Denison.

"There was about $10,000 spent on this year's Christmas Games.

"It's a large effort by organizers and volunteers. Everyone involved with this year's event deserves a huge thank you for their time and energy."