The Bridge Foundation will be “parading around” and introducing themselves to the community during the Krewe of Krewes Parade today.

In alignment with their motto, “The Bridge of Tomorrow,” this arts and culture youth and community non-profit organization aims to bring Southwest Louisiana together through cultural awareness, artistic encouragement and real-world skill building.

Don Lewis, Bridge Foundation president, said the foundation will provide for every demographic. “No particular race, no particular side of town; we want to help everyone.”

The Bridge Foundation was founded in October of 2021 by Lewis. He was inspired to create a non-profit to enrich the community during his global missionary travels — Asia, Indonesia, England and Spain to name a few.

Throughout these travels, Lewis was exposed to the dynamics of other cultures.

“I’ve learned a great deal of things while traveling globally by seeing how people live and learning to respect and appreciate people’s differences.”

Lewis reminisced about his recent trip to Bangkok. “I was just mind blown by their way of life,” he said.

It is his goal to bring these revelations to the youth of Southwest Louisiana. “I’m in my 30s, so just imagine what would happen if someone in middle school was exposed to that lifestyle.”

For Lewis and those working with the Bridge Foundation, the benefits of being exposed to art and culture are countless; however, the greatest benefit is the human connectivity it provides.

“Knowing more about other cultures makes you a more worldly person,” he said. “Some people just don’t get along in the world … but the few things that bind them together are music, food, travel, culture and art.”

Lewis knows what it is like to grow up without specialized arts and culture education. “I was raised on the north side of Lake Charles, and the resources are a little bit limited there,” he explained.

He said this foundation is his way of giving back to his community, which he knows needs more. “The children don’t have very many arts programs or exposure programs that can give them the ability to dream beyond what they are used to seeing.”

He believes there are even fewer programs now than when he was a student at Washington-Marion High School, citing a lack of personal finance classes and limited use of cursive handwriting as examples. “We had programs that are much different than programs we have now because times have changed and the structure of school has changed.”

Lewis aims to fill this gap through the foundation. “That’s not art, but that’s culture. It’s learning things that teach you and get you by.”

The Bridge Foundation is still in its infancy stages. “Nonprofit work really takes a lot of time and resources and people, and I am learning that day after day,” Lewis said.

So far, they have been able to host small giveaways, plan events and develop programming that will provide for the community.

The biggest event that local kids can look forward to is the foundation’s week-long summer camp, which will introduce participants to different cultures, artistic endeavors and alternative career paths.

Lewis looks forward to introducing campers to the many careers that are available in film and visual arts. “A lot of students don’t know you can have a career path to that, so the Bridge Foundation plans to expose the children to that,” he said. “The students just really know that you can be a doctor or lawyer, or that you can work at the chemical plants or casinos … but there is a ton of creative outlets that I believe they haven’t been exposed to yet. When you are exposed to things, it gives you the freedom to think about things that are beyond your lived experience.”

For those at the Bridge Foundation, it is critical to introduce the youth to art and its opportunities. “Art for anyone at any age, but more so the youth, is an imaginative form … you can be creative and you can’t be judged because you are in a space of creating,” he said. “I know that everybody has a creativity bone in them, so I want to be able to bring that out.”

This will be geared towards middle school students, but Lewis hopes to expand the camp to include elementary and high school students. The planning of the camp is still in its preliminary stages; Lewis and his team are working to secure a location and secure funding.

The Bridge Foundation also has many programs for adults that they plan to institute, such as Community Beautification, The Bridge Travel Club, Dad’s on Duty, Teacher’s Club, Golden Circle and Captain Canine.

These programs will be like glue for the community, Lewis said. “Once you have the community behind everyone, life can be really great. There are some really challenging times right now, and I think some people just don’t know their neighbors like they used to, and I think if they did it would be a great opportunity for everyone to get along.”

The Bridge Foundation’s participation in the Krewe of Krewes Parade will serve as a festive soft launch. “This is the initial start,” Lewis said. “I want to give that positivity to the community, so they can see we have some really great things coming up.”

Lateshia Pearson, OWN reality star and entrepreneur, will be on the float to celebrate the inaugural year of The Krewe of Bridge as its queen.

This celebration is just the beginning. “Every small detail is leading up to something that is so much greater,” said Lewis. “Everything comes together in slow time and in due time.”

For more information, visit thebridgelc.org.