Lafayette, LA (KPEL News) – Once upon a time, south Louisiana looked forward to the Running of the Ducks. Times change and, now, the non-profit is replacing them with crawfish to help kids develop into the best people they can be.

For more than 50 years, Boys and Girls Clubs of Acadiana has had one mission:

To empower all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. 

The charter is headquartered in Lafayette but currently oversees 8 clubs:

• 2 in Lafayette
• 1 in Lake Charles, with 2 more in the works
• 2 in New Iberia
• 1 in Abbeville
• 1 in Opelousas
• 1 in Natchitoches
• 1 in the work in Crowley

The general public knows the name Boys and Girls Club and that they do good work, but it’s difficult to wrap your brain around the impact they have on students and how they achieve such success.

The clubs are open when children agest 6 to 18 are most at risk: after school and all day in the summer.

Broadly, they do the following:

• Provide a safe, impactful and high quality experience for kids in our footprint and beyond.

• Focus on 3 main areas

  • Academic Success

  • Healthy Lifestyles and Habits

  • Good Character & Leadership 

Each club has a full-time director and part-time staff, based on set ratios.

They encourage community support, both financial and in-kind, for the clubs, and they work to fundraise to sustain them.

The Great Acadiana Running of the Ducks served them well for many years, but they have created a new raffle fundraiser that offers a plethora of ways to get tickets.

The Inaugural Crawfish Crawl is underway. Instead of purchasing a duck, you purchase a crawfish (or several) for your chance to win a great prize, including a car! Check out the impressive list:

1st Place: 2024 Nissan Sentra Donated by Giles Gives Back
2nd Place: $1,500 Donated by Bradley Beck State Farm
3rd Place: Natchitoches Christmas Festival Experience (Includes 4 Wristbands, 2 Festival T-Shirts, and Free Night at the Holiday Inn)
4th Place: Year-Long Supply of Meals Donated by SONIC
5th Place: Parish Brewing Package Donated by Parish Brewing
6th Place: Louisiana Gift Basket Donated by Louisiana Hot Stuff
7th Place: Ring Cleaner and Holder Donated by EMBARK Jewelers

The tickets are $5 each, 6 for $25, or 25 for $100. They are available through several outlets:

• Online at bgcacadiana.com.
• By texting BGCA to 50155.
• At any Gulf Coast Bank or Evangeline Bank location.
• Visit crawfish restaurants in south Louisiana and look for the QR code.

The deadline to purchase your tickets is March 22, so get to Crawfish Crawling to help children succeed.