It was a sea of purple and gold as LSU football fans crowded Urban South Brewery to cheer on the Tigers for the Manning Family Children’s annual tailgate festival.
Saturday marked the third festival, with festivities kicking off in the morning for Tulane vs. Kansas State Wildcats, and continuing on in the evening for the big LSU vs. the Ole Miss Rebels game.
Last year, the festival raised roughly $10,000, and through an auction and food and drink sales, this year, the hospital is hoping to surpass that number.
One of the hospital’s patients, 23-year-old Daniel Cressy, was the first person in the state to be cured of a sickle cell disease through gene therapy.
Two days ago, Cressy became closer to achieving his lifelong dream of becoming a commercial pilot when he received his medical clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration.
“For every single patient that we’re helping to care for, this is futures restored,” said Kristen Robinson, Manning Family Children’s Hospital vice president of marketing. “Every dollar that’s raised helps ensure that kids can stay close to home for the care that they need. And then always, regardless of a family’s ability to pay.”
The hospital’s center for blood and cancer is nationally ranked as one of the top 50 in the country. They treat pediatric patients not just locally, but throughout the state and across the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
READ MORE:Football fans tailgate for a good cause at Urban South
