World Acadian Congress Commemorative License Plates are Now Available

CMA

Maine is rolling out a new commemorative license plate today to herald the coming of the 2014 World Acadian Congress. Officials unveiled the design at a press conference in Madawaska yesterday.  

Maine Secretary of State Charlie Summers said the new license plate honors the “outstanding contributions of the Acadian people...in the St. John Valley and of Franco-Americans throughout our great state.”

The World Acadian Congress/Congrès Mondial Acadien (CMA) is held every five years in a different region of the world.  It typically attracts more than 50,000 visitors from 44 countries.

In 2014, the World Acadian Congress will be celebrated in the international region known as Acadia of the Lands and Forests.  The host region includes northernmost Maine, northwestern New Brunswick, and southeastern Quebec.  The economic benefit is expected to top $50 million.

The State of Maine is issuing 6,000 of the limited edition commemorative license plates at a cost of $25 each.  They’re now on sale at participating Credit Unions in Maine. In addition to raising funds for the 2014 World Acadian Congress, $1 from the sale of each plate will go to the Maine Credit Union League’s “Ending Hunger Campaign.”