WASHINGTON — On Thursday, the D.C. Tulane Alumni will mark the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
Alumni members will gather at Bayou on Pennsylvania Avenue for a benefit happy hour, just as they’ve done every year since the storm.
“We’ll keep doing it because the need is always there,” said Andy Hyson, chapter president of the D.C. Tulane Alumni. “Whether it’s Katrina recovery or investing in New Orleans, the need is there and it’s important to keep contributing.”
The annual happy hours have raised nearly $18,000 for various New Orleans organizations. In its early years, funds went to the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund. Recently, the money has gone to the City Center project and the Tulane Center for Public Service.
Founded in 2006, the Center for Public Service oversees and organizes all of the community service projects for Tulane University students, faculty and staff. Tulane requires students to complete community service hours as a graduation requirement.
That requirement was born out of Katrina. The school wanted to help the recovery in New Orleans.
This year’s event will take place at Bayou from 6 to 9 p.m. Suggested donation is $20. Bayou has donated the space for the event. Abita, a local Louisiana brewery, has donated beer.
“The event is a rallying point for the community,” Hyson said. “Whether we were affected by the storm, or graduated years before or after, it’s something that unites us all as Tulane alumni. It’s a great way to come together, have a good time, and do some good all at the same time.”
