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51���ϱ�������ʷ�¼� established the We Win Together Award at the Central Louisiana Regional Chamber of Commerce Business Awards in 2022. The recognition celebrates 51���ϱ�������ʷ�¼�'s core values and recognizes a person or organization who collaborated, sought continuous improvement, and impacted the local community over the past year.

51���ϱ�������ʷ�¼� is excited to present the 2024 We Win Together Award to the Rapides Early Childhood Network (RECN) for their efforts to raise more than $4 million to fund scholarships for 300 children in Central Louisiana.  

With 90% of brain development occurring by age four, early childhood education is crucial for students and communities. Yet, in Louisiana, where two out of three children under five need childcare, high costs are significant barriers to families trying to provide for their children. To expand access to high-quality childcare for low-income households in Rapides Parish, The Rapides Foundation, Rapides Parish School Board, Rotary Club of Alexandria, and other organizations came together to establish the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Fund at the Central Louisiana Community Foundation.

This initiative secured significant matching contributions from the Rapides Foundation and the State of Louisiana effectively quadrupling community donations. The program quickly generated a $4 million investment in the local community.

“In the US, giving is down across the board 40%,” says Central Louisiana Community Foundation CEO, Emily McGruder. “In the current landscape, people are a lot more hard-pressed to find funds to donate, but we saw a great response from local employers and individuals for the RECN initiative.”

“This one was easy for us to award,” says Matt Purser, COO of Industrial Services at 51���ϱ�������ʷ�¼�. “Just a menagerie of different groups decided we’ve got to be better, we’ve got to invest in these kids, and we’ve got to make our society better to create transformational change. And 51���ϱ�������ʷ�¼� is proud to be a part of this program.”

Learn more and see how you can support their mission at .