My name is Matthew Craddock; I am the Recreation Coordinator for the Hamlet of Kugluktuk in the Nunavut Territory.  Kugluktuk is a small isolated community of about 1600 people, 140 kilometers north of the arctic circle that is only accessible by plane.  We are seeking to raise $50 000 for the rebuilding of our lacrosse program and for the development of new recreation initiatives.

              Our goal at the Recreation Complex is to provide a variety of opportunities, organized and casual, that will benefit the people of Kugluktuk.  Physical and mental health benefits, indoor activities when it’s -40 outside, and providing youth with a place to feel welcome and part of something important are just some of the consideration when planning new initiatives.

               The primary focus is on the rebuilding of the Kugluktuk Lacrosse Program.  When I arrived in Kugluktuk this February, I came across lacrosse equipment in storage.  Lacrosse once thrived in Kugluktuk and played a vital role in providing an opportunity for team sport and sense of belonging in the community.  Please take a moment to watch the special from ESPN on the original Kugluktuk lacrosse program. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32vBv0-rA0Q&t=23s

             As you see, sport, and lacrosse inparticular, played a vital role in providing opportunity and a sense of pride and purpose for the youth of the community and we want to see that spread to more age groups and to the young women of Kugluktuk.  We still have some of the equipment, though it is old and worn, and when the founder of the program moved back south, the program faded away.  Given the history and effectiveness of the program in the past, we want to see it rebuilt.  Many of the players from the original team still have a sense of pride from their time on the field and look forward to providing a new generation of youth the same opportunity they had. 

            We have commitments from coaches and volunteers, and a commitment from the Canadian Lacrosse Association to conduct a coaching clinic this summer.  Our need now is for equipment.  We have an assortment of equipment from when the program first started but it is old, much of it needing to replaced, and we have a lot of equipment missing.  The goal is to offer programs for youth as young as 8, all the way through to adults, which would include those that played on the original Kugluktuk Lacrosse team.  Our equipment needs are for all the age groups.

            Below is a list of the equipment of which we are in need:

• Youth and adult goalie equipment (2 sets for each)
• Heads for sticks
• Replacement mesh for heads
• Helmets
• Shoulder pads
• Kidney Pads
• Arm pads

               As I mentioned, we are 140 kilometers north of the Arctic circle, so it will come as no surprise that the winters are long, dark, and cold.  Indoor opportunities for sport and recreation however are in short supply.  Some of the projects we are looking at include, but are not limited to; an indoor climbing wall, an archery range shop for woodworking, carving, and forging blades, fitness classes, and a trampoline park.  One by one we hope to tackle these projects, but we need funding. 

              Being in the Arctic we also have additional issues to consider, such as increased shipping costs.  As mentioned earlier, we are a fly in community and the cost of getting this equipment is greatly increased because of that.  We have two options; shipping by barge which arrives only once a year when the ice melts, or flying supplies in at a greatly increased cost.  All this plays a factor in our fundraising goal of $50 000

            Donations of all sizes are appreciated and we would like to reward your generosity with a piece of Kukluktuk for donations of a certain size.  

$250-$750: Handmade leather pulls.

$751-$1500: Crochet Kugluktuk Toque.  First 4 donations of $1000 get handmade Ulu knives.     

$1501 and up:  Limestone or Dolomite Carvings