(Baton Rouge, LA) — The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation is proud to announce the 2024 recipients of The Angel Award®, which recognizes everyday Louisiana people who have distinguished themselves by improving the health and lives of our state’s children.
Too often, the extraordinary efforts of those serving children go unnoticed. The Angel Award honors these acts with recognition and resources, empowering honorees to continue making a lasting impact. This year, in celebration of the award’s 30th anniversary, the Foundation will make a $30,000 grant to a local nonprofit chosen by each honoree.
2024 Angel Award Honorees:
- Kathy Coleman of Baton Rouge, the volunteer executive director of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Information Center of Louisiana, which provides support and resources to families with children in the care of grandparents or other family besides parents, ensuring they have everything they need to thrive
- Erin Davison, MBA, of Lake Charles, the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Louisiana, the region’s largest donor- and volunteer-supported mentoring network, connecting each child with a positive role-model to be their friend, mentor, and champion
- Caryl Ewing of New Roads, a board member of the Pointe Coupee Early Childhood Coalition, which strives to ensure all young children in the area have access to the highest quality development and education programs, which helps them get a better start during a critical window for human development
- Aaron Frumin of New Orleans, the founder and CEO of unCommon Construction, where young people learn skills, earn certifications, and get experience to become workforce leaders in building and construction, providing a path to economic freedom and generational wealth
- Kimberly Evans Novod of New Orleans, the founder of Saul’s Light, a nonprofit named in memory of her son, Saul, which provides support and community to families with babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) — an experience that can otherwise take a lifetime emotional and financial toll on them
- Hillary Sirmon of Monroe, the founder of Miracles to Milestones, which honors the memory of Sirmon’s son, Benjamin, by building inclusive playgrounds where children of all abilities can play together
- Dr. Annie W. Spell of Lafayette, a longtime volunteer and board member at Hearts of Hope, Acadiana’s only sexual trauma center, providing services for both child and adult victims
- Jamon Turner of Haughton, the founder of Just Believe Training, where he employs agricultural programs and horse therapy to inspire and empower children, giving them access to community and career paths in one of Louisiana’s largest industries
Each year, the Foundation also recognizes a Blue Angel, an employee of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana (now known as Louisiana Blue) who has impacted the lives of children through their volunteer service.
This year’s Blue Angel is Erin Powell of Monroe, a pharmacist in the company’s Medication Adherence division. Powell is also the founder of Project 2.5+, a storehouse that collects items and raises funds to provide foster children and their families with personal items such as toys, clothes, and hygiene products.
“As has been the case for the last 30 years, each class of Angels represents people from all walks of life, working in many different fields to support kids. But each honoree exemplifies the best of Louisiana’s spirit and culture: rolling up their sleeves and doing what needs to be done to support our people,” said Michael Tipton, president of the Foundation. “We are deeply proud of them and grateful for their generosity and commitment to our young people.”
Call to Action: Celebrate and Support Angel Honorees on Oct. 21
The Foundation encourages members of the public to stream the broadcast, learn more about each angel, and share their stories.
“Many organizations have been catalyzed by the energy and attention created by receiving this award. We hope to inspire others to engage with our Angels – whether as clients, partners, donors, or volunteers,” said Tipton. “Something as simple as logging into the livestream and clicking the ‘share’ button is an easy, powerful way to help these folks out.”
The 2024 Angel Award honorees will be celebrated at a special ceremony on Oct. 21, 2024, at the Manship Theater in Baton Rouge. The Angel Award gala will be live streamed starting at 6:30 p.m. on the Foundation’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BCBSLAFound.
About the Blue Cross Foundation
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation improves the health and lives of Louisianians by making grants to improve the social determinants of health, which are the circumstances of everyday life that influence a person’s health outcomes – including more than $30 million in grants since 2020. The Foundation also lifts the voices and facilitates connections between the communities, leaders, and everyday people who are working to make life better for their friends, families, and neighbors.
