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Volunteers make hockey trip happen
Pangnirtung group raises enough funds in two weeks to send 65 people to Iqaluit

Myles Dolphin
Northern News Services
Published Monday, May 12, 2014

PANNIQTUUQ/PANGNIRTUNG
When Pangnirtung residents were told their hamlet wasn't going to help them send hockey players to Iqaluit for a minor hockey tournament, they could have folded their arms and wished for better luck next year.

For a group of five dedicated volunteers, however, that option wasn't acceptable.

MaryAnn Mike, Lucy Metuq-Kilabuk, Meeka Mearns, Lynn Kilabuk and Naiomie Qumuatuq put their heads together and came up with a series of fundraisers - two weeks before the Toonik Tyme tournament - and were able to raise the $30,000 it took to send 65 players and coaches to Iqaluit.

Mike, whose 16-year-old son plays midget hockey in Pangnirtung, said they had no other choice than to take matters into their own hands.

"The recreation co-ordinator for the hamlet told us they couldn't help with the airfare or with booking the tickets for the tournament. They gave us like two weeks notice," she said.

"So many children were looking forward to attending. My son kept talking about it and saying everyone was excited because they normally attend every year. The five of us said we'd give it a try, and at least if we failed, we could tell the children we'd tried."

The group had a bit of money leftover from a previous fundraising campaign - one that raised over $6,000 to buy 61 new hockey jerseys - and they received generous donations from other Pangnirtung residents and organizations.

"We couldn't have done it without the support we got from the community," Mike said, adding the Pangnirtung Hunters and Trappers Organization generously donated almost $5,000 towards the cause.

The Iqaluit Minor Hockey Association also chipped in, covering more than $6,000 in airfare.

Canadian North and First Air gave the group special rates, too.

Parents also paid $150 for every child they wanted to send to Iqaluit.

One fundraising activity that was particularly successful was the "jail and bail," where residents paid to keep others in jail for as long as they made payments.

"If they didn't want to go they had to pay $10 for bail," Mike said, "and people paid us $5 every 15 minutes for that person to stay in jail. It was so much fun we did it twice. One person spent the whole evening there!"

The group is also seeking to re-establish a hockey association in the community, where there hasn't been one for a number of years.

"We need to get enough people to become an association, so we won't have to do this again last minute next year," she added.

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