Air Products Launches Multi-Decade Community Fund to Support Lake Maurepas

Lake Maurepas is home to a thriving community of fishermen, crabbers and recreational boaters alike, who all enjoy the relaxing afternoons with friends and family at their homes and camps along its banks.

To help protect the ecology of the lake and to support education and recreational improvements of this special place, Air Products is stepping up with a multi-decade commitment to the community and all who love Lake Maurepas.

In October, the company announced the launch of the Air Products Lake Maurepas Community Fund, which will commit $1 million annually to benefit communities bordering Lake Maurepas starting in 2023 through the overall operation of its Louisiana Clean Energy Complex project, which is currently anticipated to be at least 25 years. Through engagement with its stakeholders, Air Products –via its charitable giving affiliate the Air Products Foundation – will award grants to eligible Lake Maurepas area non-profit organizations supporting ecological, educational, and recreational improvements for those who live, work, and visit the lake area.

At launch, the Fund is making inaugural investments to support the missions of two safetyfocused organizations. The Livingston Parish Fire Protection District #2 and the Manchac Volunteer Fire Department will each receive a grant of $400,000 to support their first response missions, facilitating the purchase of new patrol and emergency response boats that will bolster response times and add to overall safety for residents, boaters and commercial fisherman on Lake Maurepas.

First response agencies play a critical role in the lake community, and they need to have the best equipment possible to keep our lake safe and healthy. It’s only fitting that the first grants from the Air Products Lake Maurepas Community Fund are directed toward their missions.

“Air Products and its employees are committed to improving the Lake Maurepas community for all who spend time on the lake and beyond, through supporting and improving the environment, promoting boater safety, and enhancing educational opportunities in the area,” said Danna LeBlanc, commercial executive director for the Louisiana Clean Energy Complex, chair of the Air Products Lake Maurepas Community Fund, and a south Louisiana native.

Brian Drury, chief of Livingston Parish Fire Protection District #2 said, “There is no money in our budget to purchase this type of vessel. We would’ve had to ask for a tax to make this happen. We love our community and this donation just enables us to give them more support. It’s another huge step for making it a safer place for everyone to come enjoy our waterways on the weekend –and to live.”

George Coxen, chief of the Manchac Volunteer Fire Department said, “Having more emergency response boats helps us fulfill our volunteer spirit of service to our community around Lake Maurepas and improves our ability to get to a scene to assist our neighbors.”

The Fund will support parishes bordering Lake Maurepas by funding needed educational, ecological, and recreational projects for years to come, with a focus on Livingston, St. John the Baptist, and Tangipahoa parishes.

Donations to the fire departments in Livingston and Tangipahoa parishes will fund the purchase of rescue boats similar to the one pictured at right.

To learn more about the Air Products Lake Maurepas Community Fund, visit http://community.cleanenergylouisiana.com