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WHAT AN INCREDIBLE CELEBRATION.
YOU KNOW, FOR OUR BICENTENNIAL, IT'S A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EVENT TO ACTUALLY HAVE A PARTY AT LAKESIDE MALL WHERE WE ALL GREW UP AND, UM, I CAN REMEMBER PLAYING VIDEO GAMES OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MALL AND NOW WE'RE CELEBRATING OUR BICENTENNIAL HERE.
YOU KNOW, THIS PARTY IS BEING PUT ON BY THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, AND I THINK THAT'S THE BEST OF JEFFERSON PARISH.
IT'S NOT GOVERNMENT PUTTING ON, IT'S A NONPROFIT WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR, AND THAT'S WHAT I'M MOST PROUD OF IN THE MOOD.
IT'S REALLY EXCITING TO BE HERE TONIGHT, 200 YEARS IN THE MAKING.
WE'RE TURNING THE, THE PARISH'S PREMIER, UH, SHOPPING MALL INTO THE STATE'S BIGGEST BALLROOM.
IT'S GONNA BE AN AMAZING EVENT.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED THAT OVER A YEAR OF PLANNING IS FINALLY HAPPENING.
WHEN WE PICK THE DATE, IT'S FLAG DAY, WE DECIDED RED, WHITE, AND BLUE WOULD KIND OF BE THE THEME.
WE'RE GRACIOUS THAT LAKESIDE SHOPPING CENTER OFFERED TO HOST IT HERE.
AND I MEAN, IT'S JUST AMAZING IF YOU LOOK AROUND AND SEE WHAT THEY'VE TRANSFORMED THIS PLACE INTO A, I SING IT AGAIN.
WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE, AND AS THE ORGANIZERS OF THE BALL, ALL THE PROCEEDS DONATED WILL COME BACK TO THE FOUNDATION AND WE'LL GO OUT, BACK OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY FOR PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS THAT WE SUPPORT.
WHENEVER YOU CELEBRATE A MILESTONE, YOU LOOK BACK AND YOU LOOK AT HOW FAR YOU'VE COME, AND THEN YOU CERTAINLY LOOK FORWARD AND, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE STRENGTH COMES FROM RESILIENCE.
AND WE HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED AND TESTED, BUT WE HAVE SHOWN THAT WE ARE STRONG PEOPLE AND THAT WE GROW AND WE PROSPER PER CAPITA.
WE DO THE MOST CONSUMER SPENDING, WHICH IS VERY FITTING THAT WE WOULD BE HERE AT THE MALL WITH OUR BICENTENNIAL.
I THINK THE FACT THAT WE ARE SO DIVERSE MAKES US A STRONGER ECONOMY.
WE'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR WAYS TO IMPROVE AND THERE ARE CHALLENGES AHEAD, BUT WE HAVE PROVEN THAT WE ARE UP TO THE TASK.