News

Actions

Family remembers Loreauville Mayor Al Broussard with 5K and Memorial Croc Walk

Posted at 7:39 AM, Apr 05, 2018
and last updated 2018-04-05 08:39:52-04

It has been three years since Loreauville Mayor Al Broussard was killed in a car crash.

Since Broussard’s death, his family has worked hard to keep his memory alive by honoring his one true passion in life, finding the graves of his Acadian ancestors. 

Broussard’s daughter Ashlie Boutte says that no matter how many years have passed, talking about her dad is never easy. 

And while his death still haunts her every day, Boutte says the memories of the life he left behind will always make her smile. One of those memories was his obsession with yellow crocs. 

"Every year for Father’s Day, he wanted a brand new pair of yellow crocs," Boutte explains. "If you knew Al, you knew he wore yellow Crocs."

Unsure of where the yellow Croc obsession started with Al, Ashlie says it was something that helped her continue pursuing a project her dad left unfinished, the "New Acadia Project." 

"It was a project my dad held very near to his heart," says Ashlie. The mission is to find the grave of Beausoleil Broussard, who Ashlie says her father descended from through two family lines.

Last year the "Mayor Al 5k and 1 mile Croc Walk" raised over $28,000 dollars for the New Acadia Project. Those funds helped researchers get into the field and begin work along the Teche Ridge and areas north and south of Loreauville in search of more clues to the Acadians who lived there.

This year, the family hopes that funds will surpass that number. 

But no matter the outcome, Ashlie and her family are just happy to continue their dad’s legacy by moving forward, one yellow Croc at a time. 

The Mayor Al Memorial 5K and 1-mile Croc Walk will be this Saturday, April 7. The 5K run will begin at 8:30 am with the Croc Walk starting at 9 am. 
The Loreauville Family Fun Day will follow the memorial walk.