Cajun Roller Girls Roller Derby Proceeds to Benefit those Affected by Oil Spill

 

Thibodaux, LA – September, 22, 2010- The Cajun Roller Girls Roller Derby event this Saturday at 7:00 at the Thibodaux Civic Center will be more than great entertainment for spectators. Proceeds from the roller derby event will also raise funds for Bayou Grace Community Services’ Oil Spill Disaster Relief Fund to assist those affected by the recent oil spill.

The Cajun Roller Girls have been building this local league for the past three years. Public Relations Coordinator Nancy Chauvin said that as the girls continue to build the league, giving back to the community continues to be vital to the league.

When the oil disaster happened, Nancy and the rest of the Cajun Roller Girls knew that they needed to help their neighbours recovering from this most recent environmental disaster. With the help of referee-in-training, Rocky McKeon, of the Cajun band Isle Derniere, the Cajun Roller Girls connected with the Chauvin-based non-profit Bayou Grace Community Services, Inc.

Bayou Grace has been responding to environmental disasters in lower Terrebonne Parish since the immediate aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Bayou Grace Oil Spill Disaster Relief Fund supports the immediate needs of fishermen and others affected by the oil disaster with food and school uniform vouchers from local merchants. The Bayou Grace Oil Spill Disaster Relief Fund also supports free community dinners in lower Terrebonne Parish. With continued support from individuals and groups like the Cajun Roller Girls, this fund will also help to provide mental health support to community who are grappling with an uncertain future as well as education services for those who may be transitioning into new professions.

For information: http://www.bayougrace.org and http://www.cajunrollergirls.com

Contact: bayougrace@bayougrace.org or mini-ass-assin@cajunrollergirls.com Phone: 985-594-5350 or 985-226-6882

Environmental Presentation at Sixth Ward Middle School

100 eighth grade students and 5 teachers attended a recent presentation by Bayou Grace’s Environmental Outreach Coordinator at Sixth Ward Middle School.

Bayou Grace’s Environmental Outreach Coordinator, Rebecca Templeton, met with teachers and students at Sixth Ward Middle School, in Chackbay, Louisiana recently.  She was invited to the school as part of an eighth grade social studies unit on Louisiana Geography.  As part of Bayou Grace’s Environmental Outreach Presentation, teachers and students were engaged in learning about the coastal land loss, restoration and protection issues facing southern Louisiana.  Many students commented that they had no idea that Louisiana loses an area of land about the size of a football field approximately every 36 minutes.  When shown pictures of flooding that occurred in the 5 Bayou Communities of lower Terrebonne Parish, students commented that they had experienced flooding in their own communities when a nearby levee was breached.  Students commented that they had first-hand knowledge of the devastation that occurs when communities are environmentally vulnerable. 

Students learned that the 5 Bayou Communities are located in lower Terrebonne Parish.

After watching BTNEP’s educational video, “Harvest to Restore”, which examines the technology of pipeline sediment delivery to help solve the environmental crisis of Louisiana’s disappearing wetlands, students commented on their hope that Louisiana’s land loss crisis would be solved in their lifetimes. 

The goal of Bayou Grace’s Environmental Outreach Program is to not only increase understanding and awareness of the problems facing coastal Louisiana but the solutions as well.  You can find out more about the innovative technology of pipeline sediment delivery by watching “Harvest to Restore”.  Contact Bayou Grace for more information or to schedule a movie night viewing of “Harvest to Restore.”

America's coast heartland, so critical to the nation's energy, trade, and food supply, is washing away. Can we find a way to save it? Harvest to Restore examines one innovative technololgy that can help solve the environmental crisis of Louisiana's disappearing wetlands.