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Crowley native remembered on Independence Day

Posted at 6:06 PM, Jul 04, 2019
and last updated 2019-07-04 19:06:32-04

People in Crowley are celebrating the life of one of their own this Independence Day.

Orlando Thomas died in 2014 from Lou Gerhig's disease.

For the past five years, Thomas's family and friends have been getting together at the Dr. Martin Luther King Center on the Fourth of July to remember him.

The day started out the with the health care portion of the event. Guests got their blood pressure taken.

Guests can also enjoy roller skating, face painting, music, barbecue and bingo.

Thomas played football for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette before going pro and playing for the Minnesota Vikings.

He died at age of 42.

Although his life was cut short, his mom says his real passion was giving back to his hometown.

"His dream was always to play football, and when he became a pro football player, through the years, he would talk to me and tell me how he wanted to reach out and help the community. Since he passed away, we started the Orlando Thomas Fourth of July," said Thomas's mom Rosa Clement.

This is the fifth consecutive year his family is hosting the event.

It's free to attend, which serves as a tribute to the man who always remembered where he came from.

The celebration continues until 9 p.m.