This Facebook Group Made Halloween Awesome For Northern Kids
Teachers who are so excited for boxes of candy that they run to their mailboxes isn’t a typical Halloween occurence or tradition in Nunavut, but that’s exactly what happened this year: In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic and social isolation, the spooky event will feel extra festive for kids living in the territory’s remote communities, thanks to efforts by their educators and a charitable Facebook group.
N.S. resident Annie E. Johnson, along with others who are part of a Facebook group she founded, sent Halloween care packages brimming with candy, decorations, and classroom essentials earlier this month after learning how special the October holiday is for children in isolated areas in northern Canada.
“I’ve had a couple of people tell me it’s bigger than Christmas,” Johnson told HuffPost Canada.
But the higher cost of living, limited access to products, and lack of convenient buying options makes throwing a real Halloween bash tricky for teachers.
To help them out, the Facebook group “Help For Remote Northern Communities” decided to start packaging boxes in late September in order to avoid shipping delays.
Seven schools in Nunavut received care packages from them, totally over 70 lbs. of Halloween goodies and school supplies:
The packages included cute ghosts and cats to hang on school walls, as well as candy and Halloween-themed stickers:
School sizes vary — some have many students, while others are only attended by 20 children. Johnson said stickers are in high-demand from all, as they’re small fun motivators for kids and lightweight enough to send in bulk.
“Rewards for kids are the most requested because they’re not part of the yearly shipments these schools get,” Johnson explained.
The boxes had plenty of construction paper for kids to make friendly bats and pumpkins:
Mary Rose Kilabuk, the vice-chair of the District Education Authority in Nunavut, told HuffPost Canada the care packages were especially helpful because the schools...
