Their generous donation will help support the victims and families as well as strengthen public safety in New Orleans.
The Sugar Bowl Committee has announced that they will be making a $500,000 donation to the Greater New Orleans Foundation in response to the Bourbon Street terrorist act that occurred on January 1st, 2025. The attack caused the Allstate Sugar Bowl Football Classic to be moved from its traditional primetime spot on New Year’s Day to a 3 p.m. start on January 2nd
Sugar Bowl Committee President Walter Becker said, “For more than 90 years, the Sugar Bowl has taken great pride in being a good corporate citizen/ The attack on January 1 was a devastating blow to everyone in this great community. We’re hopeful that our efforts will assist the victims and their families as well as play a role in the important work of keeping our neighbors and visitors safe by preventing future acts like this.”
The Allstate Sugar Bowl’s donation will provide $250,000 to the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s New Year’s Day Tragedy Fund which was established to help support the families of those whose lives were taken and those seriously injured by the New Year’s Day tragedy. Another $250,000 will go to support partnerships to strengthen public safety in New Orleans.
Jeff Hundley, the chief executive officer of the Sugar Bowl said, “We had the opportunity on January 2nd to play the Sugar Bowl football game, and we’re hopeful that doing so provided a bright spot and, in some small way, served as a small step forward toward recovery after this terrible act. With this gift, the Committee wanted to do its part to aid victims and their families while helping to ensure that our city is a safe place for our friends, our families and for the thousands of visitors we host every year.”
The Allstate Sugar Bowl’s donation will provide $250,000 to the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s New Year’s Day Tragedy Fund to support the families of those whose lives were taken and those seriously injured by the New Year’s Day tragedy. Another $250,000 will go to support partnerships to strengthen public safety in New Orleans.
Andy Kopplin, President and CEO of the Greater New Orleans Foundation said, “Through the New Orleans New Year’s Day Tragedy Fund, we are raising money to help the families of the victims and survivors start to heal and recover from this heartbreaking tragedy. We are utilizing the tried-and-true avenues we use when responding to other disasters in our region. Everyone has a job in times of disaster, and ours is raising money and deploying it to the most in need. We also work closely with the City of New Orleans and State of Louisiana as well as nonprofit organizations committed to public safety in our city and look forward to working with these partners to invest the other half of this generous donation from the Allstate Sugar Bowl to further strengthen public safety in our region.”
The Sugar Bowl began during another crisis. In the heart of the Great Depression, a group of local leaders came together to form a midwinter carnival of sporting events, including a football game, to give a boost to the economy of New Orleans and the surrounding region. Since its start, the Sugar Bowl Committee has continued its original mission. For 91 years, it has given a major economic boost to the city and state and in the last decade has been responsible for over $2.5 billion of economic impact. The Sugar Bowl also awards over $100,000 in scholarships on an annual basis and has worked with the College Football Playoff Foundation to provide over $4 million in funds to area teachers since 2019.
To learn more about the Allstate Sugar Bowl, please visit www.AllstateSugarBowl.org
To learn more about the Greater New Orleans Foundation and to make a donation to the New Orleans New Year’s Day Tragedy Fund, please visit New Orleans New Year’s Day Tragedy Fund | Greater New Orleans Foundation