In late August 2020, Hurricane Laura hit Louisiana hard. But even as they picked up the pieces in their communities, Louisiana DU volunteers came together to continue to raise money for wetlands conservation.

Greg Wicke, chairman of the Cameron DU Chapter, was one of many affected by Laura. His home sustained extensive damage and was deemed unlivable. While many people might use this as an excuse to turn over the reins of chapter leadership, Greg and the Cameron Chapter pressed on. Their event was scheduled for early September, but Greg realized that wouldnt be possible, so he decided to do what he could to help raise money for DU. Greg went door to door, selling DU merchandise and sponsorships and raising over $20,000 for the ducks.

Just up the road, in Westlake, Louisiana, Mickey and Hal McMillin made a special request to local officials to ensure that their chapters event would not be canceled due to the storm and the pandemic. After meeting with the city council, the Westlake Chapter was granted permission to hold an in-person event on December 1, 2020. The event raised more than $10,000 for DU.

Its hard to fathom the devastation that a category 4 hurricane leaves behind, says DU Senior Regional Director Derrick Davis. There was significant damage and most people lost a lot. Its honestly a true testament to our volunteers, who are willing to do anything, even in the midst of this kind of devastation, to help support conservation, even if it means going door to door selling merchandise or holding a meeting with the city council.

To learn more about Ducks Unlimited events in your community, visit ducks.org/events.