Our Community Leadership Award is given each year to an individual performing a prominent role in improving our community’s quality of life through exemplary service, whether in a non-profit, civic, or charitable organization. It recognizes someone who visibly demonstrates leadership, contributing his or her time and expertise to achieve outstanding accomplishments. Andy Frisard received this award at our Installation and Awards Luncheon held on January 20, 2022.
Andy gives with his heart, is truly generous, and never seeks the limelight for himself. His satisfaction comes from seeing the benefits of his efforts in his community.
He is a founding board member of Riley’s Bikes, a non-profit that raises funds to create and purchase expensive custom bikes for disabled children, donating 23 bikes within the past five years.
He is a founding board member of the Friends of the Slidell Police Foundation, a non-profit that raises funds to support the Police in ways that the city’s budget cannot. Examples include having a tragedy fund to support the families of slain or severely injured officers, covering veterinary expenses for retired police dogs, providing feed for the mounted patrol’s equine members and special equipment and training for Slidell police officers.
He is a founding board member of Men of Steel, a philanthropic group that selects an area non-profit each quarter to receive $10,000 to support its mission. Founded just last year, the organization has 100 members (with a waiting list) that votes to select the quarterly recipient based on non-profit presentations.
Through his role as an officer of the Krewe of Dionysus, more area charities have benefitted from his energy, creativity, and enthusiasm. The Krewe conducts its annual Daddy Day Care Festival, as well as several “drive-through” lunches each year to benefit groups such as Hospice House, Community Christian Concern, Make-A-Wish Foundation and Habitat for Humanity. All money raised goes to charitable beneficiaries.
Virtually all of these efforts and events include participation by Krewe members’ spouses and families, whether it is cooking to support area golf tournaments or helping support the work of organizations such as STARC of Louisiana and Keep Slidell Beautiful. As Andy is fond of saying, “Dionysus is an all-male Krewe for just one day a year.”
That one day each year is Dionysus’s parade day, which includes free rides for and recognition of wounded veterans and children with disabilities. Even COVID could not stop him. When parades were cancelled in 2021, he came up with the brilliant idea of a “reverse parade” where Krewe members in costume stood in front of stationary floats and passed out throws to passengers in more than 6,000 vehicles.
And, yes, he does all of this work for the community while maintaining—with his business partner—their business, Evergreen Resource Recovery, a unique business that cleans industrial wastewater treatment tanks. Last, but not least, he is a great husband, father, and grandfather.
Congratulations, Andy Frisard.