A flood of goodwill

No matter how small, every person counts and every effort can help: that’s the inspiration for many schools in Nunavut and Nunavik, which are raising money to aid people living on the other side of the world.

Schools were on holiday when an earthquake followed by a wall of water hit southeastern Asia on Dec. 26, but now staff and students are rallying on behalf of the tsunami relief effort.

“Every person can make a difference,” says David Serkoak, principal of Iqaluit’s Joamie School.

Joamie School decided to devote the entire month of January to tsunami relief fundraising through collection boxes, a dance, sales and other activities.

“I think they know about loss and hardship,” Serkoak says.

The fire that destroyed Joamie School in July 2003 is still fresh in the minds of many of the school’s 220 students and 19 staff. In that early morning blaze, Serkoak lost his collection of Inuit drums, while teachers’ materials and students’ work went up in flames.

Then, donations from the public, businesses and organizations helped replenish the school’s equipment, furnishings and supplies, while other schools in Iqaluit made room for Joamie’s students and staff, who won’t be able to move into their new school until next year.

In a classroom at Nakasuk School, part of a wing now occupied by Joamie students, Sonja Leblanc’s Grade 4 and 5 class is embracing the tsunami fundraising drive with enthusiasm. Many are volunteering to spend an evening at the Northmart bagging groceries for tips.

“I was up until 2 a.m. watching the tsunami on television,” says one of the volunteer baggers.

“I felt sad, I felt like crying,” say two girls.

“It reminded me of 9/11,” says another.

Images from this disaster are stuck in their minds: of a baby found drifting on a mattress and survivors clinging to palm trees.

“I wouldn’t want to lose my parents.”

These students know exactly what causes a tsunami. “There are plates underneath the ocean and when they create friction, this leads to an earthquake and that causes a tsunami,” explains a girl.

“They know exactly why we’re doing this,” says Oopa Picco, a school counselor at Joamie School and one of the organizers of a “loonie/toonie” raffle for staff from Joamie and Nakasuk.

The sale of items, including ulus, silapaks, mitts, food and household wares, netted $636 — adding to the tally of $913.40 raised by a cake walk and $453.38 raised by Leblanc’s team of grocery baggers.

At Kuujjuaq’s Jaanimmarik School, staff and students from Grades 4 to Secondary 5 have been contributing to the effort started by Kuujjuammiut on Jan.1, when a community bingo raised more than $15,000 for the International Red Cross.

Coins, cans and a canteen were part of Jaanimaarik’s two-week tsunami relief fundraising campaign, which ended today.

“It’s important for kids to be involved in this, too,” says assistant principal Bev Makiuk.

In the morning and after school, students spoke on the local community radio station, reporting on fundraising progress and urging everyone to help out. Students organized a canteen that sold healthy snacks. More than 300 students and staff also took on the challenge of bringing in 10 pop cans each, which were crushed and redeemed for deposit.

To collect coins, students set up decorated cans at businesses and offices around the community.

“We just asked for pennies, but some people gave more,” Makiuk says. “We collected what looks like a treasure chest of pennies. There must be about 50 pounds.”

After one week, the school’s campaign had raised $1,747, demonstrating the strength of its motto: “I can, you can: together we can make a difference.”