The group behind reviving the New Year鈥檚 Eve old time dance and feast must have been happy with the turnout for the event, which packed the Midnight Sun Complex community hall.
鈥淲e were a little nervous about volunteers, but everything in the last minute came together,鈥� said Jodi Day-MacLeod, part of the Inuvik Community Events Society.
Stewart Burnett/黑料吃瓜网 photo
鈥淎ll we had to do was ask and they were there.鈥�
The group was formed primarily to fundraise for and organize the dance, which had disappeared for several years, but members also want to bring back other popular family events in Inuvik.
Day-MacLeod didn鈥檛 have final numbers the night of the dance, but said the group had raised roughly $15,000 to put on the event, which included a feast, jigging contests, games and dancing until the new year.
鈥淲e were kind of unsure (of the turnout) because it鈥檚 New Year鈥檚 Eve and you never know where everybody鈥檚 going,鈥� said Day-MacLeod about the packed room. 鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled.鈥�
Gerry Kisoun, one of the night鈥檚 hosts, could still see plenty of room left on the floor for people to join.
鈥淚f there鈥檚 not a chair available, there鈥檚 lots of room on the floor to sit down,鈥� he said. 鈥淎t one time, it鈥檚 all we ever done, is we sat on the floor with our parents. Not like today, everybody鈥檚 got a chair.鈥�
An awesome crew of volunteers worked hard over the past several months to put the event together, he said. He was glad to see the return of the annual event.
鈥淚 think there鈥檚 always a demand for things to do for people, especially right now we鈥檙e going through the longer nights and people want to get out and have something to do in our communities,鈥� said Kisoun.
鈥淚nuvik tonight is hosting this New Year鈥檚 Eve dance and they had a feast earlier on. I think everybody鈥檚 going to go home feeling very happy about this evening鈥檚 event.鈥�
Day-MacLeod thanked the community for supporting the dance, saying it wouldn鈥檛 have been possible without that.
