PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE

Special to the American Press

For Autism Services of SW La.: The Southwest General Contractor Association recently held their annual Clay Shoot benefiting Autism Services of Southwest Louisiana (ASSL). Present at the check presentation for $6,500 are: David Landreneau, LAGC Southwest regional manager; Jared Caveys, vice president of construction for Pat Williams Construction; Amy Donald, executive director, ASSL; Geri Christ Landry, board member, ASSL; Sharon Doucet, manager, Advantage Resourcing; and Blake Hines, president, Blake Hines Inc.

McNeese State University

For MSU Foundation: Cynthia Young Rougeou donates $20,000 to the McNeese State University Foundation to establish the Cynthia Young Rougeou History Scholarship. Rougeou — a 1978 history graduate of McNeese — is the executive director of LASERS, the Louisiana State Employees Retirement System that serves over 89,000 members. On hand for the presentation are from left, Rougeou, and Richard H. Reid, vice president for university advancement and executive vice president of the McNeese Foundation.

Special to the American Press

For Sowela Technical Community College: The Sowela Graphic Art Club students recently completed a 264-foot mural at Petro Bowl. The artwork spans the entire length of the bowling lanes, incorporating a Southwest Louisiana theme complete with crawfish, Lake Charles skyline and wildlife. Club members volunteered their time to paint the mural, a project that took from September 2018 to February 2019 to design, outline and paint. The mural was part of a fundraiser for the club, which raised $2,000. Pictured in front of the mural accepting the donation from Petro Bowl are: front row, from left: Petro Bowl General Manager Debbie Stroderd, Sowela Chancellor Dr. Neil Aspinwall, Graphic Art Club Advisor and Instructor Darrell Buck; middle row, from left: Phillip Mitchell, Instructor Thunder John, Shawn Aucoin, Instructor Erik Jessen; and back row, from left: Gabriell Guillory, Quincy Mudd, Kiara Hartman, Kevin Wise, Dennis Evans, Jasmine Vital and Cevannah Duncan.