4 minute read
Impact and Give Back
The Life of Ben
BY LIESEL SCHMIDT To know Ben Blanchard, you’d have to know that he was larger than life, the life of the party, and someone who lived his life without limits. His personality was one that attracted people to him, forging deep relationships with people that lasted far longer than most. He was passionate: passionate about the people in his life, passionate about his community, passionate about helping others. After he died in 2016 following a two-year battle with cancer, all of that passion was left for his loved ones to carry the torch, establishing a foundation in his name that helped the people of New Orleans with their struggles in education—something that Ben believed was a crucial part of elevating the city and giving its community the opportunities they needed to thrive.
Following Ben’s death in January of 2016, a group of his closest friends decided they would come in from out of town and get together once a year to party, laugh, cry and tell their stories about Ben. The idea for the annual reunion turned into a fundraiser to support Ben’s favorite causes, the “Jenkins Jam”—Ben’s nickname at LSU. This was also the beginning of The Ben Blanchard Memorial Foundation and the Ben Blanchard Academic and Leadership Promotion Award for eighth graders at Success Prep, where Ben was a founding board member and served on the board until his death. Later, the foundation established a program called Ben’s Scholars, which works alongside kids with aptitude to develop greater skills.
The annual fundraisers that the Ben Blanchard Memorial Foundation have held have been extremely successful in raising money and bringing Ben’s friends & family together for a fun time to celebrate Ben’s life and raise money for causes which they consider “Ben Worthy”—all things that Ben was passionate about. “Our primary focus was on an inner-city New Orleans charter school named Success Prep at Thurgood Marshall,” says Ben’s father, Mark, who is deeply involved with the foundation, alongside his wife, Susan. “Ben believed that one way to make a difference in New Orleans was through education. The foundation initiated and sponsored a band program, providing funding for music instruction as well as providing uniforms and instruments for the entire program. Additionally, Susan initiated Ben Scholars, which chose students to help in mentoring and providing experiential learning. Susan would spend four to five days per month personally mentoring students at Success Prep.”
The foundation also gives out an annual award for the most outstanding Ben Scholar, providing a laptop computer and a savings bond to be used for future college costs. Additionally, an initial grant of $100,000 was given to Mary Bird to be used towards providing services needed by cancer patients on the NorthShore. “Services have included nutritional supplements, transportation to infusion or radiation therapy, or just about anything that Mary Bird considers ‘Ben Worthy,’” Mark says. “We also recently gave Mary Bird an additional $665,000 to fund an endowment which will provide for these services in perpetuity, and we sponsor the Livewell NorthShore event, which provides for free cancer screenings annually on the NorthShore.”
The importance of the foundation’s work—not only in education, but in working with cancer patients—is felt by Ben’s family. “We realized that many people in our community struggle with providing for their basic needs while undergoing treatment,” says Mark. “Ben understood that he was blessed to be able to receive the treatments that he needed but, he wanted to be able to help those who are not as blessed and fortunate.”
In addition to so many initiatives by the foundation, an imposing ocean-going vessel owned by Ben’s former employer, Van Weelde Chartering, was named to honor him. Called Benjamin Confidence, aka “The Ben,” the vessel is an incredible way to keep his memory alive. But more than this, Ben’s family and friends are keeping his spirit, his passions, and his amazing love for the community in which he lived through each and every person they touch through the foundation’s work. “Being able to benefit so many people and keeping Ben’s memory and legacy alive by having fun events that brings our friends and Ben’s friends together to celebrate his life makes us so proud,” says Mark. “He lived by the motto ‘Never retreat. Never surrender.’ That’s the work that we’re doing.”
For more information, visit benblanchardfoundation.com
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