LAFAYETTE, La. — This year's Taste of Acadiana would have been the 20th year in a row, except—
"We took two years off during Covid, so it is—we consider it our 20th anniversary, even though it's only the 18th annual event," said Rhonda Lorio, founder of Taste of Acadiana.
They celebrated that sort-of-anniversary with their biggest event yet.
"In the past, we've had about 38 restaurant participants, and this year we have 50 restaurant participants," Lorio said. "There's a little bit of everything."
Not to mention the 750 people who attended Taste of Acadiana, which raised funds for the Acadiana Apartment Association and, this year, Acadiana Animal Aid.
"This is our second year that we have been chosen to do this event, and this is a huge turnout. We are so excited. One of the initiatives we're working right now at the shelter is our feeding program: our $1 for one dog or cat per day, and that's food. This is food!" said Krista Deguelle, the development coordinator for Acadiana Animal Aid.
This year's Taste of Acadiana really was all about food, whether it was on our plates or in the animals' bowls.
"This is just people doing what we have to do. We have to eat, right? And, we like to be together. As a community, we love our food, and we love our togetherness, and I just don't think people understand that, by doing what they're doing, which is a normal, everyday, human activity, they're saving lives right now, and it's—it's pretty amazing," Deguelle said.
If you weren't one of those 750 people at Taste of Acadiana—or even if you were—and you'd still like to help fill the bowls of the animals at Acadiana Animal Aid, you can make a donation directly to the shelter's feeding program here.
There are plenty of other ways to get involved with Acadiana Animal Aid, whether it's through monetary donations, supply donations, fostering, adopting or volunteering.
