Cleco raised $55,000 for Special Olympics Louisiana (SOLA), an organization providing year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with disabilities.

The donation is a result of Cleco’s Charitable Golf Tournament which was held in November.

“Our goal in naming a charitable cause as the beneficiary of our Charitable Golf Tournament fundraising is to find an organization that touches our entire service territory and that will utilize the funding for programs in the parishes we serve,” said Andre Guillory, Cleco vice president and chief customer officer, and executive sponsor of the tournament.  “With active programs across Louisiana and a set of core values that aligns with ours, we’re proud to support SOLA in their efforts to promote acceptance, inclusion and well-being for people with disabilities through sports.”

While SOLA has active programs in all 64 of Louisiana’s parishes, 100% of Cleco’s donation will be used to enhance programs within Cleco’s 24-parish service area.

“Cleco’s generous donation will help support the ongoing growth and development of SOLA programs across Louisiana and improve the experience for our athletes who train and compete with us,” said John Guzzardo, SOLA chief executive officer.  “We’re grateful for our partners at Cleco for recognizing a need and ensuring that we’re able to continue to provide sports, academic and health programs at zero cost to athletes and their loved ones.”

This is the sixth charitable golf tournament Cleco has hosted and donated the proceeds to various nonprofit organizations whose mission aligns with the company’s strategy and goals. Previous recipients include Lions Clubs of Louisiana and Folds of Honor.

Cleco extends a special thank you to the players and sponsors who helped make the 2023 Charitable Golf Tournament a success.