Mennonite Collegiate Institute alumni and supporters came together in Gretna on the weekend to celebrate the school's 125 anniversary. The annual MCI Sangerfest was used as a platform to mark the historical milestone.

According to MCI board chair Ruth Siemens, Sangerfest seemed like the most natural fit in which to host such a special occasion.

"It has become the signature event  for MCI and it absolutely ties in all of the 125 years together because it's an event of gratitude, so it made a lot of sense for us to use Sangerfest to showcase what MCI is all about."

Preparation for the 125 anniversary celebration has been in the works for a couple of years, according to Siemens. She says a committee of community representatives and people from MCI past and present helped put it all together over the past few months.

"We just knew we had to do something because 125 years is super significant and so we knew it was a big deal that we needed to celebrate."

 

The special weekend was filled with a variety of activities to draw people of all ages and included a golf tournament, a talent night along with some family entertainment, all of which was topped off with Sangerfest on Sunday.

MCI first opened in 1890, making it the oldest Mennonite school in Canada which is a tribute to the school's constituency.

"MCI is here because of the strong grassroots support which has sustained us financially over the years," said Siemens. "The strong moral and spiritual support that we've had from the many people who have walked through these doors also has sustained us and we believe that God also has sustained us over the years by guiding us and showing us where to make changes and how to keep this place going."

As for the future, Siemens suggests it has never looked brighter with a number of improvements to the school in the works that include a new hardwood flood for the gymnasium thanks to a generous donation from an anonymous donor who contributed $125,000. The school also wants to make some significant improvements to the library through matching donations as part of their 125th celebrations.

"We're hoping for a strong enrolment for this next year and will continue to work hard to meet the educational and spiritual needs of students in a setting like this."