Holy Cross student creates ‘Laps for Lou’ fundraiser

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — A Holy Cross student is making a difference for someone who helped make a difference in his life.

WGNO’s Kenny Lopez explains how this student and the CEO of Manning Family Children’s teamed up for a great cause.

Lap after lap, each lap is for Lou, who’s Lou you may ask?

“He started running 100 miles for 100 kids, so we decided to do ‘Laps For Lou’ for him,” said Drew Launey, a Holy Cross student and swimmer.

Lou Fragoso is the CEO of Manning Family Children’s. It was Fragoso’s mission to run 100 miles for 100 kids facing medical challenges at Manning Family Children’s.

“Lou’s an inspiration for all of us,” Launey said.

When 18-year-old, Holy Cross student and swimmer, Drew Launey found out what Lou was doing he wanted to help Lou with a fundraiser he called, “Laps For Lou.”

“We tried to get everyone back from the swim team we had in 8th grade, and we got most of them back to swim with us and the entire team swam with us too. It is a real brotherhood at Holy Cross,” Launey said.

Lou inspired Drew years ago. Three years ago, he was a patient at Manning Family Children’s for a pelvic injury.

Drew hosted a swim fundraiser back then to help a patient named Blakely and Lou stepped up to help back then.

“That day that Mr. Lou swam with us, three years ago, he joined our family. He joined our Holy Cross family, and I mean we got to help him because he helped us, so it was our time to step up and help him with what he was doing,” he said.

So just like a swim stroke, what goes around, comes around.

“Laps for Lou” raised over $1,000 for Manning Family Children’s.

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