Growing up Cajun is about as lucky as lucky gets. As young boys we can remember our fathers and grandfathers sharing stories and teaching us as much as they could about our heritage. The women in our family taught us how to make a good gravy - or at least made us smart enough to find a woman who could. We learned to work hard, we learned to live off the land and we learned a few Cajun French words while listening to conversations we probably shouldn't have listened to. Countless weddings and a fais do do here and there taught us how to two step, waltz and jitter bug with the best of them. We were so proud to be Cajun and we still are today. It has been said by many that we are members of a dying breed. As hospitable, boisterous and lively as we are - we are few and far between. While our area is undoubtedly rich with culture and tradition, small pieces of our heritage are slipping away as time goes on. Bits and pieces are surviving but things are not the way they used to be. The world is changing and there is no doubt about that. However, there is no reason our roots be damaged. There was once a time where our ancestors were driven from their homes and suppressed, yet they were tremendously resilient. We are inspired by their will to carry on proudly and feel as though to allow our culture to die out would be a dishonor to their courage. Through our three impact areas - preservation, advancement and education - we look forward to growing a generation of youth who are as proud of their Cajun culture as we are.