THIBODAUX — The Morgan City Oilfield Fishing Rodeo has donated $13,000 to Nicholls State University’s Department of Petroleum Engineering Technology and Safety Management, which will use the contribution to supplement funding for an extensive renovation of Gouaux Hall classrooms and labs, utilized extensively by PETSM students.
Last August, MCOFR presented Nicholls with a $10,000 check that the university allocated toward upgrading computers in the PETSM program.
“We recognize the value of educating our community, especially our oilfield industry,” said Loretta Dupre, events coordinator for MCOFR and Nicholls alumna. “We give back all the money raised each year, with most of it benefiting education.”
Founded in 2013 by Morgan City-based deepwater container specialist Tanks-A-Lot, the nonprofit MCOFR has hosted its fishing rodeo each May with the purpose of promoting community spirit in the local oil and gas industry while benefiting notable organizations for future growth within the community. Tanks-A-Lot employees, many of whom are Nicholls alumni, and countless volunteers have worked to ensure each rodeo is more successful than the one before. In 2015, in addition to supporting Nicholls, MCOFR gifted monetary donations to Relay for Life of Morgan City, the American Legion Freedom Fest, Boy Scouts of America and the South Central Louisiana Technical College.
“Having the support of a community-centric organization like the Morgan City Oilfield Fishing Rodeo means petroleum engineering technology and safety management — one of the fastest-growing programs at Nicholls — will continue to provide our local oil and gas industry with its next generation of top-notch leaders,” said Michael Gautreaux, executive director of PETSM.
