Yellowknife (Apr 02/03) - The rocking music on the stereo may have been "Tear the House Down" by Newfoundland group The Fables, but all the crowd at the Legion wanted to do on Saturday night was help a small town on The Rock build itself back up.

Badger, Nfld., population 907, was flooded Feb. 15 when an ice jam at Badger Rough Waters caused water to rise eight feet in less than an hour.

Ivan Pond, president of the Yellowknife NFLD Social Club, said he had a "heck of a time" trying to contact anyone in Badger, to tell them he wanted to help.

He finally tracked down Badger town clerk/manager, Pansy Hurley, who described the town, and sent pictures via e-mail.

Pond posted those images on a board at the Legion.

The NFLD Club and Legion had raised $7,000 by Saturday and ended up raising $10,255 more that night.

Five dollars from every plate of fish and brews, as well as a percentage of bar sales went to Badger.

"It's important to let the people of Badger know they have friends in Yellowknife," said Lorne Power, Legion branch manager, who noted there are about 5,000 Newfoundlanders in Yellowknife.

"It's a part of Newfoundland that needs help," said Rosalie Power, originally from Paradise, Nfld., adding, "And I love fish and brews."

Northerners were just as eager to come out, enjoy some Newfoundland music and help the cause.

Speaking through an interpreter, Nunavut MLA Ovide Alakkannuark, who attended with his wife Victorine said, "It's very important we support Badger. It's really awful when you have no home and must relocate and start over."

Shirley Pond said she was "devastated" when she heard the news about Badger.

"I feel pain for the families back there that lost everything."

"We're always Newfoundlanders," said Fran Walsh, a long-time Northern resident originally from St. John's. "We have to help our own."

Donations can still be made at the Legion this week.

A cheque will be forwarded to Badger on April 7.