GRISE FIORD/AUSUITTUQ - While the Seal Team was cheering until the very end, it was the Polar Bears who were victorious at Grise Fiord's Umimmak School's sports day.

The day brimming with activities on June 9 was organized by teachers Beth Gregory and Martin Roy.

"It was a great way to end the year," Gregory said.

The rain outside did not hamper the activities as they were moved inside to the school gym.

After each team chanted the games began.

"We're black and grey and in the race, we really don't care who we face. We are in shape and up to scratch, no matter the team, we can match," chanted members of the Seals.

In addition to the Seals and the Polar Bears, the students also could have been on the Whales or the Ptarmigans team.

There was a three-legged race, a tug of war, a relay race, a nail driving contest and a smoosh race.

Teacher Cara Cormier said during the relay race the students had to sit on small squares with wheels called trolleys and roll down and then get up and shoot a ball into a net.

"The big kids were falling off them," she said.

In the smoosh race, students as a group put on big ski-like planks and walked forward on them as a unit.

At the end of the afternoon of fun there was a barbecue.

Cormier was the teacher-supervisor for the Polar Bear team.

"It was genuinely a fun afternoon and everyone just had a blast," she said.

To make it fair the teams mixed younger students and older students.

Cormier said on her team the youngest polar bears were in Grade 1 and Grade 2 while the oldest bear was in Grade 11.

She attributes her team's success to the fact everyone co-operated and worked as a team.

"That was the whole point of showing the younger kids co-operation and team spirit," Cormier said.

Student support assistant Susie Kiguktak also noticed good teamwork and how much everyone enjoyed the day.

"We're definitely planning on doing it again next year," she said.

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