Jessica Klinkenberg
Northern News Services
Published Friday, December 21, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Yellowknife students and a city business have pitched in to bring toys to needy youth.

Since September, a Grade 5 class at St. Joseph school has raised nearly $700, which translated into 40 to 50 gifts for the Salvation Army Christmas Hamper program, said teacher Charla Kennedy. Jonathan Lantz, a student involved in the toy drive, said he knew which one a boy his age would love.

Charla Kennedy's Grade 5 class from St. Joseph school hold the gifts that they had been fundraising for since September. In no particular order they are: Dylan Alanak, Alyssa Carswell, B.J. Coomber, Torin Dowe, Joe Boyd Elatiak, Nathan Houghton, Qualin Jeremickca, Courtney King, Jonathan Lantz, Sam LeMouel Tourangeau, Hayley Lehniger, Billie-Jean Meise, Deanna Michel, Emma Ouellette, Caleb Patrick, Erin Pirker, Aaron Ramsay, J.D. Ross, Ben Roy, Olivia Taylor, Tara Thachet, Tamra Tsetta, Krystin Tuccaro, Shania Tymchatyn, Benjamin Walsh, Ross Wasylucha and Zachary Zorn. - photo courtesy Charla Kennedy

"It was a giant dragon with a castle," he said.

Shania Tymchatyn said her favourite toy was something more traditional.

"It was the Care Bear," she said. After a little more thought she added "and the helicopter."

It was hard work for the students, although they all agreed it was a lot of fun. Erin Pirker summed up the experience for her classmates.

"I feel like we helped a lot of people," she said.

It's a good feeling doing that, Krystin Tuccaro added.

"It makes me feel bubbly inside."

On the other side of town, Chris Flannagan with Harley's Hard Rocking Saloon and the Shirt Shack was doing his part to help out the Centre for Northern Families.

"We didn't have a toy run this year so I went and I bought some," he said.

Typically Harley's does a toy run in September, but he said things had been so hectic that they didn't organize it. So he went out and filled his truck with toys for the Centre for Northern Families. He is now hoping businesses in the city will also help.

He put the word out to other bars in Yellowknife about the need for toys at the centre.

"I talked to a few bartenders in town and they said they'd see what they can do," he said.