ANCHORAGE, Alaska, June 6, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On July 28^th, 2016, Afognak Native Corporation will host the first annual Afognak Youth Charity Golf Tournament at the Anchorage Golf Course. Plans for the charity golf tournament grew out of recent successful fundraising efforts for the Dig Afognak Culture Camp on Afognak Island.

This past winter, the Afognak Leasing team raised funds and awareness for Dig Afognak Camp youth cultural activities.  After this initial success, they decided to establish a golf tournament to take fundraising to the next level.  Pulling from the team's extensive experience in marketing and fundraising, with even a few avid golf enthusiasts, the Afognak Youth Charity Golf Tournament came to life.

In planning the event, Afognak has received an amazing amount of support from its Alaska-based executives, employees, Board, and Shareholders. Through combined volunteer work hours, and support company-wide, the planning team is well underway to hosting a successful golf tournament fundraising event, not to mention offering a fun activity in Anchorage.

Sponsorship and tournament fees, in excess of event expenses, will directly benefit Afognak youth education programs operated by the Native Village of Afognak, and the Native Village of Port Lions Tribes in the Kodiak Archipelago.  Afognak Native Corporation supports these two Tribes as a way to meet its cultural and community responsibilities to strengthen Ag'wanermiut "Afognak people" through such innovative youth development programs as:

• Dig Afognak Camp – An Alutiiq culture camp for youth since 1998
• Afterschool & Alutiiq Week Cultural Activities – Workshops led by both Tribes
• Alutiiq Language Lessons – School outreach and language revitalization materials
• Preschool Activities – Culturally-based Kinder-prep workshops that improve school readiness

"These programs are an invaluable way for young people to learn our endangered Alutiiq language and to practice traditional harvest, survival skills, and healthy relationships," says Alisha Drabek, SVP of Community and Government Affairs.  "Tribally-led activities build a sense of pride, identity, and wellbeing in Alutiiq youth.  Given the Afognak community's traumatic history and socioeconomic challenges, it is especially important for our youth to connect to our Afognak homeland and to practice healthy lifeways…not just those who live on Kodiak, but for those who return in the summer, too."

"The Dig Afognak Camp on Afognak Island will greatly benefit from event proceeds," says Melissa Borton, Native Village of Afognak Tribal Administrator.  "While we generally seek to serve our Tribal Members first, Dig Afognak is a program that benefits all Kodiak Island Native youth who participate."

There is still room for golfers and corporate sponsors to join.  If you are a golfer, teams of four can register for the tournament.  Golfers who want to register or corporations who wish to sponsor the Afognak Youth Charity Golf Tournament should contact Ana Fisk, Vice President of Leasing Operations at 907-244-4377 or afisk@alutiiq.com.  Sponsorship and team entry forms are available online at www.afognak.com/golf/.

The Afognak Native Corporation is an Alaska Native ANCSA village corporation, serving the Kodiak Alutiiq people of Afognak and Port Lions, Alaska.
 
Photo caption: Afognak youth admires traditional oil lamp burning.

A photo accompanying this release is available at:
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=40491

CONTACT: Alisha Drabek, alisha@afognak.com
         SVP, Community & Government Affairs
         Afognak Native Corporation
         907-481-2160