During the height of football season, it’s easy to forget that the realm of Baton Rouge higher education extends far beyond LSU and Southern University. And though we certainly savor the dose of morale a stadium full of fans can bring, our vaccination cards and COVID tests still remind us of the medical professionals whose care and knowledge have helped make our return to normalcy possible. Enter: Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, whose Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University has provided education in the sciences and liberal arts to future nurses, techs, administrators and other healthcare professionals in Baton Rouge for nearly 100 years.

“FranU serves the Baton Rouge community in meeting the shortage of healthcare professionals available to care for the people of our region,” says Judith Robertson, FranU’s vice president for institutional advancement. “Each year, we graduate students who are educated and formed into Franciscan servant leaders who care about those they are entrusted to care for, and they are recognized for their service to our community and beyond.”

As part of that recognition, and to help sustain the 87% of FranU’s students who rely on some form of financial aid, the university will host a virtual grand raffle next week ahead of its Fête des Fidèles annual fundraiser next February. The purchase of one $50 ticket could turn into $5,000, $3,000 or $1,000 in cash prizes.

Tickets can be purchased here before tuning in to FranU’s Facebook Live drawing at 6 p.m. on Thursday, November 4. For more information on the Fête des Fidèles fundraiser on February 10, 2022—which will include a silent auction, food by John Folse Catering, specialty drinks, and dancing to live music at The Estuary at the Water Campus—visit franu.edu.