Jefferson Street Pub in Lafayette hosted the third 24 Hour Citizen Project Saturday.
The event was a chance for citizens to present community enhancement ideas and compete for funding. During this two-day event, teams of citizens received guidance from area professionals before pitching their ideas to a panel of backers and an audience at the main event on Saturday in an effort to receive funding and make their projects possible.
This year, four projects were selected to receive a portion of the $12,300 promised through donations given by nine members of the Acadiana community:
- Cade Evans: Allen and Gooch
- Will LaBar: CGI
- Frankie Russo: Potenza
- Hunter Perret: The Perret Group
- Pat & Lynn Trahan: Jubilee Court
- Lacey Maynor: Advancial
- Cian Robinson: Lafayette General Foundation
- Ryan Cazares: Scott Eye Care
- Brittany Broussard: Bancorp South
Those projects are as follows:
- Team Eyes of the Sun which proposed the installation of murals of the poem “eyes of the Sun” written by young people incarcerated in Lafayette Parish. The team says the mural will expose young people to creative expression and encourage others to strive for their goals despite life obstacles.
- Team BARE Walls would bring businesses and local artists together to grow the community through art. The program they propose would turn bare walls of businesses into gallery space. The artwork would rotate every three months, bringing new looks to businesses.
- Team Tell Me More proposed a program that would give officers and at-risk youth a chance to share their lived experiences and find common ground through creating an original theater piece.
- Team Longest Table would aim to bring the community together to engage in authentic conversation and meaningful dialogue through a meal
“These four projects were truly inspiring, and the passion the teams displayed showed their love for community while encompassing the goals of the 24 Hour Citizen Project,” says founder and event organizer Butch Roussel. “All eight projects were amazing, but these resonated so well with our backers and the audience. Their success is going to mean some real, positive change for the community that will, hopefully, inspire and pave the way for future teams.”
These four teams, now funded, will begin to work on implementing their mission over the next year.
To learn more about the 24 Hour Citizen Project, previous funded projects and this year’s selected teams, visit 24hourcitizenproject.com
