After Hurricane Ida, the second-most powerful hurricane ever to hit the state of Louisiana, took a destructive toll on New Orleans and its surrounding coastal area earlier this month, Delaware North stepped up to assist the region with a $10,000 donation to the Game On for Storm Relief fundraising drive organized by the NFL’s New Orleans Saints and NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans.
In addition to the monetary assistance, Delaware North’s team at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport jumped into action to package and load an estimated $80,000 worth of food items to be donated to a local shelter.
“Putting our neighbors first is at the heart of Delaware North – especially in times of great need,” said Delaware North CEO Jerry Jacobs Jr.. “We’re grateful for our associates who quickly identified a way to make a significant impact in the community in the wake of this historic storm.”
The Pelicans and Saints fundraising drive is part of an activation of the Gulf Coast Renewal Fund to support the community throughout Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. The funds will be distributed to organizations working in the community to support disaster relief caused by Hurricane Ida, including the Greater New Orleans Foundation, the United Way of Southeast Louisiana and the American Red Cross.
At the airport, where Delaware North’s travel division operates 11 restaurant locations, General Manager Sean Gavigan and his team acted quickly to secure, package and load food items to donate to Second Harvest Food Bank, a longtime food donation partner that provides hunger assistance to 23 parishes across Louisiana.
In addition to Gavigan, Assistant General Managers Tammy Turner and John Walker, as well as Stephen Dakutis, an assistant manager, were instrumental in preparing the pallets of food that were picked up by Second Harvest.
According to Second Harvest, its staff, volunteers, and community partners have distributed more than 5 million pounds of supplies to recent hurricane survivors in Southwest Louisiana.
“Enough can’t be said about our New Orleans airport team and the way they jumped into action to help in the wake of the storm,” said Bob Filipp, regional vice president of operations for Delaware North’s travel division.
“Even as many of our associates and team members were personally affected by the storm, it was very encouraging to see the willingness to help our neighbors and show the level of resolve that they did during a very challenging time.”
PHOTO CAPTION: Delaware North’s team at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport acted quickly to gather and package food items to donate to Second Harvest Food Bank’s disaster relief efforts. Pictured from left to right: Sean Gavigan, Delaware North’s general manager at the airport; John Walker, assistant general manager; and Stephen Dakutis, assistant manager.