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IGLULIK - The disappointed groan of an elder who missed the bag of flour during the ring toss game floated through the halls of Ataguttaaluk High School in Iglulik on May 14.

The student council from Ataguttaaluk High School held its first elders' carnival last month, an event Grade 10 student Linda Sheena Airut says the council will definitely repeat.

Elder Mary Amaaq plays Plinko during the elders' carnival at Ataguttaaluk High School in Iglulik on May 14. - photo courtesy of Maren Vsetula

"We told them that we were going to have another elders' carnival and they were pretty excited about it," Airut said. "They can't wait for the next carnival."

Every year, teachers from the high school and the elementary school put on a carnival to raise funds, so the student council modified the idea to make it specifically for elders.

"We designed all the games to be elder-friendly," said teacher Maren Vsetula.

She said the most popular game was the ring toss where participants threw rings around items and got to keep them as prizes. The items consisted of flour, tea and sugar, which were very popular prizes among the participants.

Every elder in town was invited to come and participate in the event, which was held at the high school in the evening. A bus picked up elders who wanted to attend and dropped them off after the carnival ended. Vsetula said holding the event after school ensured that elders would be the main participants.

"It was after school in the evening; we wanted it just for elders," she said.

Different classes at Ataguttaaluk made fish stew and bannock and student council members served the elders, according to Vsetula. About 40 elders attended the event.

"Our student youth council served the meal to the elders and they ran carnival-style games and the elders played for free and ate for free," said Vsetula. "The elders were very happy, they enjoyed all of their prizes and the activities." Airut organized a Frisbee-bowling activity and said next year she plans to "make it more fun, exciting and have more elders come and have fun and play more games."

Vsetula said the event was very popular.

"This was the first one, but it won't be the last one," she said.