Volunteers take youth canoeing at state park
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Volunteers from BASF’s Geismar site joined other nonprofit groups in hosting a day of canoeing and picnicking at Tickfaw Sate Park for children from the McMains Children’s Developmental Center in Baton Rouge on April 26.
The outing was part of the United Way’s “Day of Caring” program, under which volunteers work with local United Way agencies on a wide range of community projects.
Volunteers from BASF, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and other organizations took children, their families and staff from the center on canoe trips along scenic Gum Bayou, which runs through a bottomland hardwood swamp and is home to a variety of native plants and wildlife.
In addition to the employee volunteers, BASF’s Geismar site and the LDEQ provided a jambalaya lunch and cold drinks to children, parents and others who participated. The park waived admission fees for the volunteers and children, and also provided the canoes and picnic pavilion free of charge.
“Seeing the kids’ smiling faces is truly what makes the event worthwhile,” Al Hindrichs, an environmental scientist at the LDEQ and longtime organizer of the event, said in a news release. “We’re grateful to BASF and all of our volunteers who make an event like this possible.”
Mike Cohen, senior vice president and general manager at BASF’s Geismar site, and Jay Gross, a Training Coordinator at BASF’s Geismar site, helped coordinate this year’s event.
“Helping children and enjoying the beautiful Louisiana outdoors is a wonderful way to spend a spring afternoon,” Cohen said. “The McMains Center does a great job of helping these children, and we thank our employees, their families and other volunteers who came and contributed to an enjoyable afternoon.”
The McMains Children’s Developmental Center has been providing services for children with cerebral palsy since 1954. It has grown to provide physical, speech and educational therapy; social and psychological services; and language development classes for children with autism, speech and learning disabilities.
