Saints Head Coach Sean Payton's Play it Forward Foundation, Feed the Children and Protect the Coastline held a fundraiser in Lafayette Saturday night for the grand opening of Trynd Downtown.
The event, which was presented by Sterling Automotive Group, was hosted by Payton. Guests enjoyed appetizers, took part in a silent auction and had the opportunity to take a photo with the Saints head coach.
"The idea for this started almost a year ago to partner with Feed the Children and Protect Our Coastline," said Payton. "We found a restaurant in Lafayette that really had an interest in working with the Play it Forward Foundation. There are a lot of people that really jumped on board in working with the families and children of our local communities."
The Play it Forward Foundation and Feed the Children delivered food and supplies to four hundred families in need this week to areas across the Gulf Coast Region in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi.
The Play it Forward Foundation has raised more than $1.2 million since 2008.
About Payton's Play It Forward Foundation
Founded in 2008 by New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton and his wife, Beth, the mission of Payton's Play it Forward Foundation (PPIFF) is to improve the quality of life for local families through educational-based initiatives, increased and improved health-care support systems, and social welfare through research, education and professional services for disadvantaged and disabled individuals and families in the Greater New Orleans area and across the Gulf Region. In operation since 2008, Payton's Play It Forward Foundation has distributed more than $500,000 to local charities. For more information, visit www.paytonsplayitforwardfoundation.com.
About ProtectOurCoastline.org
Responding to the tremendous need for help for the fisherman and shrimpers along the Louisiana coast, Protect Our Coastline has been organized to provide direct relief for those facing financial devastation because of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. ProtectOurCoastline.org works directly with the Louisiana Seafood Board and the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation to identify those in most need of assistance and ensure all proceeds are going directly to those who have been hit hardest by the oil spill. For more information, visit www.protectourcoastline.org.
About Feed The Children
Founded in 1979, Feed The Children is consistently ranked as one of the 10 largest international charities in the U.S., based on private, non-government support. Feed The Children is a Christian, international, nonprofit relief organization with headquarters in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, that delivers food, medicine, clothing and other necessities to individuals, children and families who lack these essentials due to famine, war, poverty or natural disasters. In FY 2008, Feed The Children distributed more than 133 million pounds of food and other essentials to children and their families in all 50 states and internationally, supplementing more than 760,000 meals each day. For more information, visit www.feedthechildren.org.
