Lafayette, LA – Two Lafayette natives and Zydeco Hoop organizers donate $9,000 to Lafayette's Parks, Arts, Recreation, and Culture (PARC) Department.
Brian and his wife, Annette Jolivette, founders of Texas-based nonprofit organization, Above All Sports, returned to Brian's hometown to co-sponsor Zydeco Hoopfest.
The three-day basketball tournament, held in June, attracted 110 local, in-state, and out-of-state teams, they tell KATC.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to come back to Lafayette and do something positive for kids. Athletics — basketball, football, and baseball — were so important to me,” said Brian Jolivette.
The Jolivettes report that this year’s inaugural Zydeco Hoopfest will now be an annual event, as it is their goal to make a larger donation as the tournament grows.
“We greatly appreciate the donation. Initially, we had no idea the tournament would mushroom into the number of teams we had. We thought we’d have 40 teams at best,” said Athletic Programs Supervisor Walter Guillory, who accepted the donation.
Brian said participating in sports through Lafayette’s recreational programs played an important role in his life, dating back as far as 1973 when he received his first trophy when playing on an All-Star baseball team.
He wants kids in the community to have the same positive experience.
Guillory said the Jolivettes donation will now help four Greater Lafayette Little League All-Star teams pay for hotel and meal expenses and uniforms.
“The interest in Zydeco Hoops was extremely high," said Brian. "We had a number of teams that wanted to play but registered too late. We expect the number of teams to almost double next year."
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