Florence Nagyougalik suspected her late brother Solomon Tulurialik was smiling in heaven after the 2023 Swing Flames Cup.
“I would like to thank my committee members for helping prepare for the tournament,” said Nagyougalik about the softball tournament that has been held for four years in honour of Tulurialik, who passed in 2019. “I couldn’t do it without them.”
Several teams competed in the tournament, with Team Sluggers coming out on top in the end. In second were the Bench Warmers and third Salt Lake.
Nagyougalik said a lot of volunteers stepped up to help before, during and after the tournament.
“The fourth annual Swing Flames Cup was a successful turn out,” she said. “A few bumps but it all turned out nicely. It was nice to see Elders coming out to watch and also the community.”
She was proud to see Arviat and Chesterfield Inlet attend, the latter of which had players travel in by boat.
Nagyougalik also thanked the sponsors, including Calm Air, Arctic Fuel, Agnico Eagle, Jessie Oonark and the Hamlet of Baker Lake, plus Northern and Co-op for offering discounts.
Firefighters put on a fireworks show at the end of the tournament, and Jeff Seeteenak and daughter Janette helped keep everyone fed and hydrated throughout the games.
Brian Pudnak cleaned the whole diamond by himself after the tournament, said Nagyougalik.
“Let’s remember my late brother Solomon Tulurialik,” said Nagyougalik in closing words about the event. “He is probably smiling his biggest up in heaven.”
Tulurialik, who also went by Sala, was also the namesake behind the 2023 Sala Hockey Memorial in Baker Lake. He passed at the age of 29 and had been known as an active, loving community member who always encouraged people to play sports.
ᕗᓘᕆᔅ ᓇᒡᔪᒐᓕᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᓂᓂ ᓴᐅᒪᓐ ᑐᓕᕆᐊᓕᒃ ᕿᓚᖕᒥ ᖁᖓᔮᕐᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᐱᖑᐊᕉᓘᔭᓂᓴᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᒃ 2023 ᐃᕐᖑᓯᕐᔪᐊᖅᑖᕋᓱᖕᓂᖅ.
‘ᖁᔭᓕᔪᒪᕗᖓ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᓄᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐋᕿᒃᓱᐃᓂᖅ ᐱᖑᐊᕈᓘᔭᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ,’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᓇᒡᔪᒐᓕᒃ ᐊᓇᐅᓕᒑᖅᑎᑕᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐅᑐᖅᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᐃᓐᓇᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᕌᒍᓄᑦ ᑎᓴᒪᓄᑦ ᐃᖃᐅᒪᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᑐᓗᕆᐊᓕᖕᒧᑦ, ᐃᓅᔪᓐᓃᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ 2019-ᒥ. ᐊᔪᕋᔭᖅᑐᖓ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖏᒃᑯᒪ.
ᐅᓄᖅᑐᑦ ᓵᓚᖃᕋᓱᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ, ᓴᑯᔅᑯ ᖁᓛᓂᖦᖢᑎᒃ ᑭᖑᓪᓕᕐᒥ. ᑭᖑᓂᖓᓂ ᐱᑦ ᕈᒧᔅ ᑎᓴᒪᒋᔭᐅᔪᖅ ᓴᑦ ᓚᐃᒃ.
ᓇᒡᔪᒐᓕᒃ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᑭᓕᖅᓱᖅᑕᐅᖏᑦᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᑲᔪᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ, ᐱᙳᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ, ᐱᐊᓂᒃᑎᓪᓗᒋᓪᓗ ᐱᙳᐊᕐᓂᖅ.
‘ᑎᓴᒪᑦ ᐊᕌᒎᓕᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᕐᖑᓯᕐᔪᐊᖅᑕᕋᓱᒃᑐᑦ ᐊᓂᒍᐃᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᖃᒃᑲᓂᕐᒪᑕ,’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ. ᐊᔪᕈᑎᖄᔪᒃᖢᑕ ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᐊᓂᒍᖅᖢᑎᒍ. ᐱᑯᓇᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᓐᓇᐃᑦ ᖁᖏᐊᕆᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥᐅᑦ.’
ᐱᒃᑯᒍᓱᒃᖢᓂᓗ ᐊᕐᕕᐊᕐᒥᐅᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᒡᓗᓕᒑᕐᔪᖕᒥᐅᑦ ᐃᓚᐅᔪᓐᓇᓚᐅᕐᒪᑕ, ᐃᓚᖏᑦ ᐱᙳᐊᖅᑏᑦ ᐅᒥᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᑎᑭᖦᖢᑎᒃ. ᓇᒡᔪᒐᓕᒃ ᖁᔭᓕᖕᒥᔪᖅ ᐃᑲᔪᓚᐅᖅᑐᓄᑦ, ᑳᒻ ᐃᐅ, ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᐅᖅᓱᐊᓗᖃᖅᑐᓕᕆᔩᑦ, ᐋᔩᑯᐃᑯ, ᔭᓯ ᐆᓇᕐ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ
Hᒻᐊᓚᑯᖏᑦ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᒥ, ᓂᐅᕕᕐᕕᒃ, ᑯᐋᑉᐸᓪᓗ ᐊᑭᒃᖠᒋᐊᕈᓐᓇᐅᑎᓂᒃ.
ᖃᑦᑎᕆᔩᑦ ᖁᒻᒧᐊᓲᓂᒃ ᖁᒻᒧᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒍᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᓂᒍᐃᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᐱᖑᐊᖅᑏᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᔭᕝ ᓰᑎ.ᓐᓈᖅ
ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐸᓂᖓ ᔭᓂᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᑭᓇᓕᒪᖅ ᓂᕆᑎᖢᓂᒋ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᒥᖃᖅᑎᖢᓂᔾᔪᒃ ᐱᙳᐊᕐᓇᕐᓂᓕᒪᖓᓂᒃ. ᐳᕋᔭᓐ ᓇᖕᒥᓃᓐᓇᖅ ᐊᓇᐅᓕᒑᕐᕕᒃ ᓴᓗᒪᒻᒪᖅᓴᖅᖢᓂᒡᔪᒃ ᐱᖑᐊᕌᓂᖕᒪᑕ, ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᓇᒡᔪᒐᓕᒃ.
‘ᐃᖃᐅᒪᓚᕗᑦ ᓄᑲᕕᓂᕋ ᓵᓚᒪᓐ ᑐᓗᕆᐊᓕᒃ,’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᓇᒡᔪᒐᓕᒃ ᐅᒃᑯᐊᖅᑎᑎᓪᓗᒋᒃ ᐱᖑᐊᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ. ‘ᖁᖓᔮᖅᑐᒃᓴᐅᔪᖅ ᑕᑉᐹᓂ ᕿᓚᖕᒥ.’
ᑐᓗᕆᐊᓕᒃ, ᓴᓚᒥ ᑕᐃᔭᐅᖕᒥᔪᖅ, ᐃᑎ 2023 ᓴᓚ Hᐊᑭ ᐃᖃᐅᒪᔾᔪᑎ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᒥ. ᐃᓅᔪᓐᓃᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐊᕋᒍᖃᖅᖢᓂ 29-ᓂᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐅᐃᒪᔮᖅᑐᖅ, ᓇᒡᓕᖕᓂᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᑭᒃᑯᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᓄᑦ, ᐱᖑᐊᖁᔨᕙᒃᖢᓂ ᐃᓅᖃᑎᒥᓂᒃ.