|
It is with great
pride and anticipation that my family and I welcome you to the 71st
International Rice Festival, Louisiana’s oldest and largest
agricultural festival. Among the largest celebrations of its kind
in America, the International Rice Festival is bigger and better
than ever – celebrating its 71st year with world-class
entertainment, delicious food, and reminders of our rich and storied
heritage at every turn.
For nearly
20 years, I have proudly stood among the literally hundreds of
festival volunteers who share my passion for our heritage, our city,
and its internationally vital rice industry – volunteers who work
tirelessly and selflessly each year to create this amazing
celebration. This year, I am both honored and humbled to serve as
Festival President. Rarely have I felt so honored.
Reared by my
aunt, the late Dorothy L. “Dot” Suire, who spent nearly 40 years as
a french-speaking receptionist/bookkeeper at local rice mills, my
brothers and I grew up in a home where the primary source of income
was the rice industry. As a result, I have a deep appreciation for
the daily toils of the working men and women of our community who
have long kept the rice growing and the mills running – feeding our
local economy and the rest of the world. I am reminded that they
and the many volunteers who put on the Festival are real-life “super
heroes” who are dedicated daily to “Rice - The Super Grain.” A
weathered old Eagle Rice Mill employee time clock – a gift still
stained by the floodwaters of old – stands in my home and reminds me
of the smell of rice bran and the sound of the worn hardwood floors
I visited as a child at “Nan Dot’s office.” I dedicate my
presidency to her, and to all those farmers, mill workers and
festival volunteers who have kept our industry and this festival
growing for so many years.
If you have
traveled some distance to join in our fun, it is our community’s
distinct honor to have you as our guest. It is my sincerest hope
that you enjoy every opportunity to envelop yourself in our
celebration and take from here wonderful memories of your time with
us – the kinds of childhood memories that I have of harvest time and
of this great festival, and which are reflected so well by this
year’s official poster artwork.
If you grew
up here, as I did, you probably know how I feel – always looking
forward each year to the cool autumn breezes that signal the
approach of the International Rice Festival, the sounds of carnival
rides and great music, the smell of smoking barbeque pits and cotton
candy, and the comfort of knowing that our community and its
cultural heritage are alive and well and that we are free to
celebrate them together. I truly look forward to doing so.
Thanking you
for celebrating with us and looking forward to seeing you at the 71st
International Rice Festival, I remain |
