Just for the fun of it
Friendship centre holds community barbecue
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
RANKIN INLET
If you cook it they will come, especially if a barbecue is involved.
A good number of people put up with Mother Nature's cranky mood to enjoy a Pulaarvik Kablu Friendship Centre barbecue in Rankin Inlet earlier this month. - photo courtesy of George Dunkerley |
Volunteers from among the staff and board members of the Pulaarvik Kablu Friendship Centre held a barbecue earlier this month to brighten what had been a string of damp, dreary days in the community.
Staff members had planned to hold the barbecue a week earlier to mark the return of executive director George Dunkerley from vacation but improperly stored buns saw that idea go a little stale.
Dunkerley said the volunteers were pleased with the number of people who attended the barbecue.
He said the lineup for hotdogs and hamburgers moved steadily for about 90 minutes.
"We served 300 hotdogs and 294 hamburgers," said Dunkerley.
"That was a great turnout, considering there was a big slo-pitch tournament in town and a wedding going on just up the road.
"I was really worried nobody would come because of all the fog that day, but, by 12:15, the parking lot next to the friendship centre was full and there were still more people coming."
Dunkerley said the barbecue had a festive feel to it.
He said a number of Frisbees were given away, as well as a bunch of water bottles for the kids.
"Everybody who came really had a good time.
"A couple of our board members, as well as a couple of members of my family, showed up to help with the cooking and stuff, so it went well."
Dunkerley said it's nice to hold a barbecue or some other community event for no particular reason sometimes.
He said such events bring people out for no other reason than to get together for a bit of the afternoon.
"Our elders come and mingle with the crowd, and that's always nice to see.
"People didn't just stay in their own cliques or family groups.
"There was a lot of mingling going on and that led to a lot of conversation taking place.
"It doesn't always have to be a big, special occasion for people in our community to come out and enjoy each-other's company."
