(Photo: Baker Lake Northern store manager presents a bike prize to one of the winners of the RPAN Walking Challenge)

Kids and teens in Nunavut spent a week trekking a distance as far as the North Pole, supported in part by Northern Stores across the territory.

The Northern stores were pleased to contribute to the NU Tracks Territorial School Walking Challenge. The challenge, which was organized by the Recreation & Parks Association of Nunavut (RPAN), is designed to motivate students to embrace a healthy, active lifestyle.

For a week in March, children and youth were challenged to walk 2,930 kilometers – the exact distance between Iqaluit and the North Pole. Participants were given pedometers and tracking sheets to monitor their progress. At the end of the challenge, individuals and schools were awarded prizes for their achievements.

Northern Stores in Taloyoak, Coral Harbour, Iqaluit, Igloolik, Baker Lake and Sanikiluaq provided a total of 12 bikes for prizes.