Michelle DaCruz
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (June 05/02) - A robbery at Forty Below Golf and Sandtrap Lounge on Sunday night makes losing your lunch money to a bully look like a walk in the park.

The intruders made off with $1,000 that was to be donated to the children's lunch program which provides meals to students at Ecole St. Joseph and Weledeh school.

The money was raised by the bar's weekly meat raffle. The thieves also got away with the bar's weekend sales.

Manager Andrea Favetta said it is unlikely the charity money will be replaced by their insurance company.

The culprits gained entry through the bar's back door between approximately 6 p.m. Sunday and 9 a.m. Monday morning.

Forty Below was hosting the Special Olympics year-end banquet on Sunday, an unlicensed event, so all liquor was moved to the back room.

"It really makes me mad and I find it ironic that we had a whole day of fun on Sunday and then this happens," said Favetta.

Sandy Graham, co-owner said it was likely the robbers were on foot since staff did not notice any liquor missing.

Graham, who has been a co-owner for three years, says the bar has never had a break-in during that time.

Nevertheless, they are equipped with a security system that was tripped when the burglars entered the door.

"Unfortunately they cut the phone lines, so the alarm company was alerted only that the phone system went down," said Favetta.

The bar also lost their Monday lunch sales because there was a the three-hour delay in opening.

The investigation is continuing but police did not return calls by deadline.