Doing their program proud
Futsal kids growing game, helping out in community
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
RANKIN INLET
The boys and girls in the futsal program closed out the first segment of their season by competing in their third local tournament and making a significant donation to the RCMP's Community Christmas Hamper in Rankin Inlet this past month.
Justin Towtongie and Norman Kowtak Jr., front right, of the Rankin Wolves boy's futsal/soccer team, present a $570 cheque to RCMP members Cpl. Matt Greenough and Const. Gabrielle Drouin for the Community Christmas Hamper in Rankin Inlet this past month. - photo courtesy of Paul Stroeder |
To date, program organizer and co-ordinator Paul Stroeder has managed to hold an Under-12 futsal World Mini Cup, an Under-12 futsal tournament and December's combined Under-15 and Under-18 futsal tournament.
Stroeder said each event featured play in both a boys and girls division.
He said the boys team collected the registration fees from the December event and donated the money to the Community Christmas Hamper.
"We collected a $10 registration fee from every kid, and we had 57 kids take part in the U18 tournament," said Stroeder.
"We took that $570 and donated it to the Community Christmas Hamper.
"Our local District Education Authority secretary, Deanna Fitzpatrick, suggested it to me when I went to book gym time for the event.
"I thought it was a really good idea and the kids were very, very proud to make that donation to the two RCMP officers who accepted it on behalf of the hamper program."
Stroeder said all the boys from the U12 division helped with the U18 tournament by running the canteen, keeping score and picking up garbage.
He said the boys also handed out the medals at the end of the tournament.
"They were pretty proud to be handing out the medals to the older kids, and everyone had a lot of fun during the tournament.
"I hope to hold another tournament sometime in the spring, possibly in March, if I can get a week of gym time at the school.
"We, kind of, want to wait for hockey to finish up, host another local tournament for kids, and then get ready to travel to Yellowknife and compete in Super Soccer.
"We've started to fundraise to take as many kids to Yellowknife as we can, so we'll be holding a penny sale, raffling off a Ski-Doo for the third straight year and, hopefully, if the permit is granted, hiring local band The Midnight News for a dance at the community hall on Feb. 20."
