RANKIN INLET - Teams of students from Maani Ulujuk Ilinniarvik took part in an Amazing Race, inspired by the TV show, as part of the school's annual Snow Day activities in Rankin Inlet this past week.

George Pankuch holds back the dogs as Page Burt gives the gear one final check before Heather Boucher takes partner Marie Gabrielle for a ride. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo

Teacher Katharine O'Connell had been wanting to hold an Amazing Race outside since she and another teacher held one in the school during her first year in Rankin.

O'Connell presented the idea to her fellow staff members, who thought it would be a nice change from some of the activities that had been going on for years.

The race was held in the afternoon, with students having to solve a number of clues and complete a series of tasks to win the event. A number of teachers manned the various stations along the course.

A group of Quebec students who were in Rankin for an exchange program also got to take part in the event.

It was decided to have two races, red and yellow, start at opposite ends of the course so students couldn't simply follow each other along.

O'Connell said start times were staggered, with broomball or curling at the arena, grocery shopping, indoor skiing, qamutiik pulling, and a fear factor challenge with all sorts of disgusting food concoctions, set up as some of the tasks.

She said the race was definitely a challenge for the students, while at the same time being safe and lots of fun to participate in.

"A bunch of pretty gross food items were mixed together for the fear factor, with one person being blindfolded while another fed them," said O'Connell.

"They had to finish a whole cup of food to get their next clue.

The race ended at my classroom at the school."

O'Connell said running two races kept things fair for the students.

She said even though they were doing the exact same race, going in reverse of each other prevented copying and having a backlog of students at the different stations.

"We had, pretty much, four stations set up for most areas, but we didn't want to have anyone having to wait.

"That wouldn't be fair because whoever started first would probably be first to finish with the best time. Disposable cameras were ordered so each team could take pictures while the racers were doing different tasks along the course.

"Another teacher videotaped the different tasks and, hopefully, my class will be able to use the footage to put together something like one episode of the Amazing Race TV show to play at our end-of-the-year assembly."

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.