The Mi’kmaq Confederacy of Prince Edward Island (MCPEI) is hosting its first annual Charity Golf Tournament, a fundraiser for the restoration of St. Anne’s Church in Lennox Island.

The golf tournament will begin with a shot gun start at 1pm on September 18, 2009 at Fox Meadow Golf and Country Club in Stratford. Cost is $600 per team of four which includes power car, prizes and a steak dinner. The event is a Texas scramble and charitable receipts will be issued.

St. Anne’s Church is a century old and is in dire need of $400,000 worth of structural renovations and other restoration, such as a new steeple, windows and doors. The community has organized a fundraising committee and to date have raised over $30,000. The committee is hoping to have the renovations undertaken and completed by summer 2010 as the church will be the focal point for a major celebration to mark the 400th anniversary of Grand Chief Membertou’s baptism to the Roman Catholic Church.

Chief Membertou, a leader of the Mi’kmaq Nation, was baptized on July 24, 1610. He was the first indigenous person in Canada to become a Christian and through his action, the entire Mi’kmaq nation converted to Catholicism.

“Our church is the heart of our community so we have joined together to work towards preserving it for many years to come,” said Lennox Island Chief Darlene Bernard. “The entire community has wrapped their arms around this project and we are hoping we can do what needs to be done.”

Anyone interested in participating in the golf tournament or contributing to the church restoration fund can contact Dennis King dking@mcpei.ca or Ron Zakar rzakar@mcpei.ca