ALLIGATOR FESTIVAL - HOW IT ALL GOT STARTED

In 1978 the Rotary Club of St. Charles Parish was chartered. 

The newly formed Club was looking for a long term project and wanted to select one that would reflect the ideals and goals of Rotary International.   In 1980, one of the members of the Club, Archie Mollere, a member of the St. Charles Parish School Board, donated his $250 salary to the Club as a Scholarship to a Graduating High School Senior from a St. Charles Parish public high school.   Another member, Bob Becker, was VP of Rathborne Land Co. and managed their properties; many of them swamps teeming with Alligators.   At that time in history; the Governor of Louisiana had just removed the Alligator from the endangered species list and initiated a hunting season.  Together, Archie and Bob came up with the idea to have an Alligator Festival and hold it during the hunting season in September.

The first Alligator Festival was held on part of the driving range at the Willowdale Country Club.  It soon expanded, and the Festival moved to the grounds at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Hahnville.  In 1985, the Alligator Festival moved again to a site on Hwy 90 in Boutte and then next moved across the street. Finally, in 2000, the Alligator Festival moved to its present site; St. Charles Parish’s Dept. of Recreation  Westbank Bridge Park under the I-310 Hale Boggs Bridge.

The Alligator Festival is produced and staffed entirely by club members, with a little help from family and friends, and community business/industry. Some locals use the Festival to meet up with friends once a year and it has become the largest Festival in St. Charles Parish.

The profits from the festival are used to support all of the club’s projects.  The main project; awarding scholarships to the local graduating high school seniors; is the one the club is most proud of.  Over the past 30 years, the club has awarded scholarships in excess of $ 475,000.00.  It is the largest private scholarship provider to local high school seniors in St. Charles parish.

The Alligator Festival is always held on the last full weekend of September and Alligator Festival Golf Tournament two weeks prior.

ALLIGATOR FESTIVAL - HOW IT HELPS YOUR COMMUNITY

Rotary Club of St. Charles uses the proceeds of the Alligator Festival to support many of our yearly projects. Below is a list of a few examples, where the proceeds benefits:

• 8 college scholarships and 2 vocational/technical scholarships to high school seniors at Hahnville High School and Destrehan High School
• Rotary Foundations' projects: Fight against polio, Group Study Exchange program, Ambassadorial Scholarship, Paul Harris Fellow
• Press box on Westbank and Eastbank Bridge Park
• Various donations to Department of Recreation of St. Charles Parish
• United Way of St. Charles Parish
• St. Charles Toy and Gift Fund
• Thanksgiving baskets
• Christmas Tree Lighting in the Westbank Bridge Park
• Nursing Home Mardi Gras Party
• Easter Egg Hunt for Children
• Social Concerns Mortgage Fund
• Social Concerns Eyeglass Fund
• Send two two high school students to a nationally recognized leadership program
• Recognize the Deputy of the Year
• Bullet Proof Vests for St. Charles Sheriff's Office
• Support to Interact Clubs at Hahnville High School and Destrehan High School
• Boy Scouts of America
• Provide the St. Charles Correction Center Trustees an opportunity to sell their goods
• Provide/install the exercise equipment on the Westbank Bridge Park walking track
• Repair/upgrade the Westbank Bridge Park

PAST MR. ALLIGATOR

One of the perks of being President of the Rotary Club of St. Charles Parish is becoming Mr. Alligator for the year and wearing the honored hat.