Nunavik school’s movie nights pay for Haiti relief, trip to Kenya

Mary Qinuajuak serves canteen customers at the Friday night movie inside the Tukisiniarvik School gym in Akulivik. (PHOTO COURTESY OF QUINN CARTER)

QUINN CARTER

AKULIVIK — Every Friday night, students in the village of Akulivik are lined up at the door to get back into school.

Although it’s the first night of the weekend, kids of all ages crowd into the gymnasium of Tukisiniarvik School to watch a movie on the big screen.

While proceeds from these movie nights usually help raise funds for an upcoming class trip to Kenya, students of Tukisniarvik School decided to do something different this week.

Last week’s movie night raised $350 for Haitian relief efforts, less than three weeks after an earthquake devastated much of that country’s capital.

“It is important to help people in Haiti because they don’t have any food, houses, and they lost their family,” said Annie Qingalik, a Secondary 5 student.

While in Africa, the students of Tukisiniarvik School will complete a leadership training course and help with a development project, such as building a school or digging a well, in a Kenyan village.

To prepare them for the volunteer work they will be doing in Africa, the students are required to complete 30 volunteer hours before going on trip.

The students realized that by donating the proceeds of their movie night to disaster relief in Haiti, they could both complete their volunteering duties and help people who are desperately in need.

“I like running the movie nights because it’s fun to fundraise,” said Saima Anautak, a Secondary 4 student.

Last Friday, for a $2 admission fee, children of all ages in Akulivik were able to watch a film on the big screen and play videogames in a mini arcade in the school gymnasium.

“My favourite part of the movie night is playing video games,” said Taalia Qumak, a Secondary 5 student. “But I don’t like running the movie nights because the kids are crazy.”

Movie-goers were also able to enjoy a snack canteen stocked with tasty baked goods made in the school kitchen by Tukisiniarvik’s IPL students.

Secondary English students, who planned and ran all of the activities, donated the night’s profits to the Canadian Red Cross.

The Kativik Regional Government has just announced that it will be donating $5,000 to the Red Cross’ Haiti Earthquake Fund.

Anyone wanting to contribute can mail a donation to the KRG’s Kuujjuaq office or directly to the Canadian Red Cross online at www.redcross.ca/helpnow or by calling toll free 1-800-418-1111.