Winter carnival receives $50k

Plans for the 20th Annual Akwesasne Winter Carnival are growing every day and the organizing committee was recently notified that the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne is donating $50,000 to this year’s milestone carnival.

The normal donation from MCA is $5,000, and the carnival receives funds from the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe and Akwesasne Area Management Board as well, giving it a total annual budget of between $15,000-$20,000. With the surprise $50,000 donation, the budget nearly quadrupled in size for 2011 and this year’s winter carnival is expected to the biggest yet.

“Council decided to contribute to the winter carnival based on the carnival’s past success, as the many events of the carnival are well-attended,” MCA said. “It must be noted that it is a one-time donation, and it is bridge funding to enable the Winter Carnival Committee to begin booking events. Other funding will be needed and is currently being sought by the committee.”

The carnival is hosted every year by one of the community’s three recreation centers and it moves from district to district. Last year, the St. Regis Recreation hosted the carnival and this year is Snye Recreation’s turn. Next year, Kawehno:ke (Cornwall Island) is expected to host, but there have also been discussions of a fourth committee joining the lineup and hosting the carnival somewhere in Akwesasne’s southern jurisdiction. The carnival is for all community members regardless of where it is hosted.

“This year’s carnival is being advertised in surrounding communities as well, in hopes of using this as an opportunity to broaden our relationships with our neighbors in Dundee, Ormstown, Huntingdon and the rest of the Haut St. Laurent,” MCA said.

Since it’s an anniversary carnival, organizers stretched it to be a 10-day event, as opposed to the 5-7 days it has been in the past. It will be held from February 10-20, 2011, and the extra days provide for two full weekends of activity. The carnival’s main event is a Patsy Cline Tribute Concert on Saturday, Feb. 12.

Volunteers are needed and welcome to attend the planning meetings. The next meeting is Monday, January 31 at 6:30, at the Snye Recreation. Contact Mae Green at 613-575-2496 for further details.