Michael Fatt is once again collecting bottles and cans to raise money for Yellowknifers in need.
The bottle drive is part of a fundraiser through non-profit group Crazy Indian Brotherhood (CIB) and has been ongoing since March 23.
The Brotherhood, a group dedicated to promoting community, plan to put the proceeds towards an upcoming Feed the People event where members will serve soups and stews to the street involved population in Yellowknife.
Photo courtesy of Michael Fatt.
A date for Feed the People has yet to be set.
Fatt said he and the bottle drive volunteers would continue to collect donations in upcoming weeks and months until they acquire a stockpile to finance the event, purchase socks and sweatshirts to donate and hopefully have some left over to put towards tents and teepees for future on-the-land programming.
Last year, Fatt raised over $6,000 from bottle donations to put on the CIB Christmas toy drive.
After weeks of collections, the group filled Tom Eagle Hall in the Tree of Peace Friendship Centre for residents to select gifts for their families.
Compared to the Christmas drive, Fatt said this round of bottle collections has been slower – though, he admits he was overwhelmed after the winter callout and is happy to “pick away at it slowly.”
Fatt took to Facebook last month to inform Yellowknfiers he would be coming around again for bottles and cans.
In addition to revenues for CIB events Fatt is looking to collect, he said the drive is about mentorship.
It’s important, he said, “to model giving back to the community.”
“We’re looking to announce ourselves and show people what we’re all about. We might wear the patches and the vests, and we may look like we’re gangsters but we’re brothers and we’ve got to show them what brotherhood means.”
Crazy Indian Brotherhood Yellowknife
In December Yellowknife’s CIB chapter was three members strong.
Today they have a full council of five, with three more prospective members. Fatt said there are at least two more prospects in Fort Smith where the group is considering opening its second NWT chapter.
Simon Lacombe is a CIB Yellowknife prospect that has been volunteering with Fatt for the bottle drive.
Though he’s just started with the Brotherhood, he said he is keen to find ways of contributing to the community and “giving back to people in need.”
“When I heard about the Brotherhood and saw what they were all about, I was really interested because that’s what I’m about too,” Lacombe said, “just giving back.”
Prospective volunteers for bottle collection and sorting, or anyone with bottles to donate can contact Fatt or the Yellowknife CIB chapter through Facebook.