LeBlancs, Melansons and Bourques get ready: you will be having a reunion at the 2009 Congr\u00e8s mondial acadien 2009!<\/p>\n
(LAFAYETTE, LA – May 4, 2009) With less than 100 days left until the 4th Congr\u00e8s mondial acadien kicks off in New Brunswick\u2019s Acadian Peninsula, over 85 Acadian family organizations are preparing their reunions.<\/p>\n
The Congr\u00e8s mondial acadien (CMA) is an international event that brings Acadians of the world together every five years in a different Acadian heartland. The two to three-week event features a diverse program of events such as community fairs, huge outdoor concerts, artistic performances, conferences, family reunions, sport and much more that attract Acadians from Eastern Canada, Louisiana, Qu\u00e9bec, France and elsewhere. Seeing as Acadian heritage is the common thread connecting the participants, the family reunion component of the CMA is very popular. Therefore, as the Peninsula prepares, in Louisiana, Cajuns are planning their trips to Canada and their participation in these reunions. However, for the past few months, this southern Acadian community has been troubled by the absence of certain major families from the roster of official CMA Reunions. The Bourque, Melanson and most notably LeBlanc families weren\u2019t planning on getting together for this historic gathering even though at past Congr\u00e8s\u2019 the LeBlanc reunion attracted thousands. Seeing an opportunity to remedy the situation, Louisiane-Acadie, Inc. decided to lend a hand and take on the challenge of coordinating one event for the three families.<\/p>\n
Louisiane-Acadie, whose mandate it is to represent the Acadians of Louisiana on the international stage, took on the project knowing that it could only be successful if it was built on partnerships with organizations and individuals in \u201cAcadie du Nord\u201d. It didn\u2019t take long for Acadian resourcefulness to take effect and numerous partners got involved in this pan-Acadian initiative. Incidentally, a date and evening entertainment were indentified thanks to legendary Acadian band 1755, a venue was secured thanks to the Town of Tracadie-Sheila, participants will be able to get information and register online thanks to Capacadie.com, great Cajun food will be served thanks to Louisiana Office of Tourism and the word will spread like wildfire thanks to CAFA (Confederation of Associations of Families Acadian in Louisiana) and FAFA (F\u00e9d\u00e9ration des associations de familles acadiennes in New Brunswick).<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s heartwarming to see Acadians coming together to make sure that LeBlancs, Melansons and Bourques also get to have a memorable reunion. When Cajuns need a hand, our Acadian cousins are there and now, we are able to return the favor on a much smaller scale. That being said, there\u2019s no doubt that when there\u2019s a party to be planned, Cajuns are the people you want at the helm!\u201d explains Ray Trahan, President of Louisiane-Acadie, Inc.<\/p>\n
Although the details of the day\u2019s events and registration have yet to be finalized, Louisiane-Acadie wanted to announce the news now in order to give participants a chance to plan their trip to the Acadian Peninsula where numerous traditional and less conventional accommodation options are still available. As 1755 band member Roland Gauvin explains, one detail was quickly confirmed. \u201cSince we are performing that night in Tracadie-Sheila, we are happy to offer a 5$ discount on our ticket price to everyone attending the reunion. These families are important branches of our Acadian family tree and we are happy that they will be joining us during our summer tour.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stay tuned for further details but in the meantime, mark August 21st on your calendar.<\/p>\n
LeBlanc, Melanson and Bourque Family Reunion\u00a0August 21, 2009<\/p>\n
Tracadie-Sheila Arena<\/p>\n
Information: rachelle@louisiane-acadie.com<\/a>, 337-291-5489, www.cma2009.ca<\/p>\n Louisiane-Acadie is an umbrella organization that represents Acadians and Cajuns in Louisiana and encourages networking and increased connections between Louisiana organizations in order to promote a united voice and better connect with all Acadian communities worldwide. The organization\u2019s current projects include Louisiana\u2019s bid to host the 2014 Congr\u00e8s mondial acadien and Louisiana\u2019s presence at the 2009 CMA, project supported by Louisiana\u2019s Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.<\/p>\n For more information on the 2009 Congr\u00e8s mondial acadien 2009, visit their website at www.cma2009.ca<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Northern and Southern Acadie unites to offer an unforgettable reunion to the LeBlanc, Melanson and Bourque families!<\/p>\n Lafayette, LA \u2013 A partnership announced in May between Louisiane-Acadie, Inc., Acadian band 1755 and CapAcadie.com has setup an easy way for the LeBlanc, Melanson and Bourque families to register for their upcoming August 21st reunion. Starting today, members of these families interested in attending their 2009 Congr\u00e8s mondial acadien reunion can visit http:\/\/1755.capacadie.com\/reunion-familles<\/a> and both register and pay online. For those who prefer more traditional registration and payment, the form for download is available at the same address.<\/p>\n The organizing committee encourages all those who plan to attend to register as soon as possible to ensure that everything goes smoothly. \u201cGuest chefs from Louisiana will be preparing the meal so we\u2019d like to give them an idea how much to prepare,\u201d explains Louisiane-Acadie president Ray Trahan. \u201cWith these big families we know that a lot of people can attend so we would like to know in advance. That being said, we certainly won\u2019t turn anyone away at the door!\u201d<\/p>\n Along with great food, participants will be able to attend a religious ceremony at Notre Dame de la Salette Church, lectures and more importantly will be able to meet and chat with their family members from all over the world. The event will take place at Tracadie-Sheila\u2019s Arena on August 21st and will finish with a bang thanks to 1755\u2019s generous invitation to family members. All reunion participants are invited to attend the band\u2019s performance that evening at the Tracadie-Sheila baseball field. The big outdoor show will also feature Louisiana\u2019s Waylon Thibodeaux and New Brunswick\u2019s Hert LeBlanc and Cayouche.<\/p>\nJuly 7, 2009<\/h4>\n