A portion of Yellowknife’s Franklin Avenue was closed to traffic on Wednesday afternoon to make way for École St Patrick High School’s annual donation to the Salvation Army food bank.
Students sang Christmas carols as they formed a human chain to pass boxes of food from the back door of the school gym, across Franklin Avenue and through the front door of the Salvation Army.
All this in -31C weather.
This year marked the 25th time the school has participated in the event, which helped deliver 4,000 to 5,000 pounds of food.
The initiative featured 200 to 300 students and was organized by the school’s Interact Club, a social justice group that runs food and clothing drives throughout the year.
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“We know how big food insecurity is in the North and especially around the holidays, it can be quite tough,” said Malaika Mirza, a Grade 12 student and co-president of the club.
Tony Brushett, executive director of the Salvation Army in Yellowknif, said the donated items will help the food bank and its users “get through January and February, the coldest months of the year.”
Director of spiritual care at the Salvation Army, Beverly Howell-Brushett, was happy to see students participating in the event.
“I think it’s very important for everybody to think about others, to grow up with compassion and to do what you can to help someone else,” said Howell-Brushett.
“It’s much appreciated and much needed.”
