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DETTAH - You could forgive students from K'alemi Dene and Kaw Tay Whee schools for looking a little ragged on their skis.

The NWT Recreation and Parks Association was in Dettah on April 15 to give students from both schools a chance to learn about cross-country skiing through the Ski North program.

Junior Paper of Kaw Tay Whee School heads out on the trail during a Ski North session in Dettahon April 15. - James McCarthy/NNSL photo

Mike Mitchell, trails co-ordinator for the association, said the association was looking to provide skiing to primarily under serviced communities.

"Dettah was one of our target communities," he said. "We gave them the equipment on a loan basis through our ski library."

Mitchell said applications for the program went out to communities in October and the decisions on who would receive the program were based on need and school support.

"Kaw Tay Whee sent in an application and they were chosen from the Akaitcho region," he said. "We did ask Yellowknife to do it, but they have the resources available to them whereas Dettah doesn't have that ability."Kaw Tay Whee teacher Neil Penney had his class involved. He said he already has the school's fastest skier in his class.

"Jennifer Drygeese was all over the course," he said. "Some of these kids had no fear. They were going over bumps and going as fast as they could."

Getting the kids out and doing physical activity is one of the reasons the school decided to apply for the program, Penney said.

"We're close to Yellowknife, but the kids don't get to go out as much as the kids there do because we don't have the type of facilities available here," he said. "With the skiing now at the school, we get the kids out at least once a day."

There were approximately 30 skiers in total out on the trails. Penney said some of them came from K'alemi Dene school in Ndilo.

"They're our sister school and we felt it would be nice to invite them along," he said.

Although the equipment the school received is on loan, Mitchell said the school is making an effort to buy the equipment.

"We'll probably give them a deal where they can get it at half-price," he said.