Fifteen individuals were named philanthropists of the year during the 2018 Leaders In Philanthropy Awards ceremony on Thursday at the Cajundome Convention Center in Lafayette. The event is hosted by Community Foundation of Acadiana and presented by Hancock Whitney Bank.
Leaders in Philanthropy Award is given to an individual or couple in each of the eight parishes of CFA’s primary service area who have made a philanthropic impact in their communities through substantial charitable contributions to or by attracting substantial contributions for nonprofits, churches or schools. A charitable biography of each honoree can be seen online at cfacadiana.org/lip.
Recognized were:
— Acadia Parish – Donna Shetler Corely.
— Evangeline Parish - Mary Alice and Leonard Fontenot.
— Iberia Parish – Carol and Tommy LeBlanc.
— Lafayette Parish – Joann and Nick Pugh.
— St. Landry Parish – Bruce Gaudin.
— St. Martin Parish – Lydia and Cyril Guidry.
— St. Mary Parish – Alice and William Pecoraro.
— Vermilion Parish – Charles R. “Charlie” Sonnier.
— Corporate Honoree – Travel Machine, Kermit Duhon and Maegan Sonnier.
Paul Hillard, the chairman emeritus of Badger Oil, served as keynote speaker which is sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana. Hilliard is the recipient of the 2015 Leaders In Philanthropy Award, Lafayette Civic Cup, and Horatio Alger Award. He and his late wife, Lulu, contributed $5 million dollars in seed money to start the Paul and Lulu Hilliard Art Museum at UL-Lafayette. He is a veteran of WWII and lives in Lafayette. Hilliard joined The National World War II Museum’s Board of Trustees in 2006 and in June 2018 was named chairman of the Board of Trustees.
Leaders In Philanthropy Awards was made possible by the contributions of Home Bank, Cleco, Iberia Bank, The Shea Family, MidSouth Bank, City Club River Ranch, Taco Bell, Gulf Coast Bank, and SLEMCO.
CFA is a nonprofit organization whose core purpose is to build legacies and improve communities by connecting generous people to the causes they care about. CFA is one of south Louisiana’s premier philanthropic organization with a particular focus on the parishes of Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Mary, St. Martin and Vermilion. Since inception in 2000, CFA has realized cumulative gifts exceeding $230 million and has made cumulative grants of more than $121 million.
Learn more at cfacadiana.org.