Nominations for $25,000 grant awards open through April 8, 2022

(Baton Rouge, LA) – The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation is asking Louisianians to nominate people doing extraordinary good for local children for The Angel Award®. The Foundation will accept nominations through April 8online at www.bcbslafoundation.org/nominate.

For nearly 30 years, this prestigious award has shined a light on everyday people who have given their time, talent and resources to improving the lives of young people in the state. The award is also a grant program – each honoree chooses a nonprofit to receive a $25,000 grant in their name.

“Angels are people who have demonstrated compassion, grit and courage in their lanes of work, all of them dedicated to making life better for our state’s young people,” said Michael Tipton, president of the Blue Cross Foundation. “If you know someone in any community across Louisiana who is working consistently for kids, nominating them is an excellent way to show appreciation and help them get recognition for that work.”

Past Angel Award honorees have made their mark in education, housing, the arts, support services of children with disabilities and much more. Profiles of all past honorees can be found at www.bcbslafoundation.org

 

The Pay-Offs of Persistence

Tipton encourages those who have filled out Angel Award nominations in past years to update and resubmit them again this year. The Foundation receives hundreds of submissions each year but is only able to select eight honorees.

“Persistence pays off. Past Angels select each new group of honorees, and each year there are a few chosen who have been nominated two, three or even four years in a row before they seem to break through. So, if you’ve nominated someone before and they weren’t chosen, don’t be discouraged — submit it again,” Tipton said.

Louisianians can nominate multiple people for the Angel Award.

Angel honorees, their families and supporters are usually celebrated at an awards gala in October. Because of COVID-19, the Foundation has produced a one-hour special in partnership with Louisiana Public Broadcasting for the past two years. While the Foundation will determine how to hold the 2022 Angel Award ceremony later this year, Angels’ stories will be shared.

 

About the Blue Cross Foundation

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation works each day to improve the health and lives of Louisianians by empowering everyday people to do extraordinary good. By building and funding coalitions of friends, families and neighbors, the Foundation hopes to build a healthier Louisiana, particularly for its children. The foundation is funded solely by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, but is a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity. In the last two years, Blue Cross and the Blue Cross Foundation have invested more than $20 million into Louisiana’s communities and nonprofits, including grants made in response to COVID-19 and natural disasters.

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