Food bank party a success

Chilly weather was no deterrent for Iqalungmiut who gathered in front of Nakasuk School for an outdoor concert and barbecue last Friday, organized by the Niqinik Nuatsivik Nunavut Food Bank.

The cold weather may have shortened some people’s stay but Jen Hayward, a food bank volunteer, says the crowd remained “steady all night,” with people listening to music, examining crafts for sale and perusing garage sale items.

By the end of the evening, when headliners Jamal Shirley and Don Corbett took the stage, there were just one or two dozen hardy people left on the grounds.

The Food Bank raised $2,700 and collected two overflowing truckloads of food that will go to hungry families this winter, and called the event an enormous success.

“The community always surprised me,” Hayward says, referring to donations from the Elk’s Lodge as well as Arctic Express, which loaned the group a truck to move stage blocks all afternoon.

“Next year we’ll try to order up some nicer weather.”