About the Foundation
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The Maraist Family Foundation celebrates Michael P. Maraist's legacy of catalytic generosity by supporting organizations in coastal Louisiana that boost economic mobility, foster educational opportunity, and ensure that south Louisiana remains one of the most culturally-rich places on earth. We envision an Acadiana in which the people that make this region so distinct can achieve the security to discover, cultivate, and share their gifts with the world. The Maraist Family Foundation is a 501(c)(3). Our EIN is 99-1819337 |
About Michael P. Maraist
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Mike Maraist was a banker and a businessman, as well as a father, a husband, a brother, and a beloved friend to all. Born in 1947 on the banks of the Teche Bayou in St. Martinville, Mike was the third of Gertrude and Louis Maraist's five boisterous children. He graduated from University of Southwestern Louisiana in 1971 and went on to become, at age 24, the youngest bank president in the U.S. Mike's entrepreneurial endeavors began as a form of mutual assistance: he lent a hand to friends by investing in distressed oil service companies during an economic downturn that devastated many families in south Louisiana. Through savvy financing and collaboration, he was able to help dozens of people save their businesses and feed their families. Mike's greatest love was his family: he cherished every opportunity to spend weekends at the camp, to cheer for Gus on the football field, to visit Clare in Santa Fe, and to savor Naomi's famous gumbo. Mike credited his love of family and his moral compass to the supportive and joyful love that his parents and siblings shared. Summer weekends at the Maraist home in Morgan City were a spirited affair where three generations of cousins, neighbors, and friends slurped snowballs and giggled over games of bourré. Mike was the source of so many of those smiles and sweet memories, and after Popee died Mike continued to extend his love through the generations by turning his own home at LeTriomphe into a gathering place for family revelry. The Maraist Family Foundation harnesses Mike Maraist's model of love and generosity by funding organizations that support the people, lands, and traditions that combine in such magical ways only in south Louisiana. . |
