Black Elk Energy and LACAP announce the inaugural Empowering the Community charity event to be held in New Orleans, Louisiana June 2009

Black Elk Energy, an independent oil & gas company, is hosting a top-tier charity event next June in New Orleans featuring pro golfers, celebrities and executives in the energy industry.  Called Empowering the Community (www.EmpoweringtheCommunity.com), the event is an extension of an initiative launched last year to assist low income families with their utility bills.  Proceeds from Empowering the Community will support the Louisiana Association of Community Action Partnerships in the weatherization of homes and to build a vocational training center for the people of Louisiana.

The event begins with a VIP reception on Thursday June 4th, followed by a golf tournament on Friday, June 5th, at the top-level Tournament Players Course (TPC), home of the 2009 PGA Zurich Classic.  Players will have the opportunity to play with top pro golfers, including Annika Sorenstam, the LPGA Hall of Famer who currently holds almost every major record in women's golf.  The golf event will be followed by a reception and dinner at the historic Roosevelt hotel on Friday evening.  Those attending the dinner portion of the event will have the opportunity to meet and have pictures taken with several pro athletes and celebrities.  In addition to an elegant, three-course dinner, the evening event will feature an all-star line up of entertainment including Grammy winner Irma Thomas, the "Soul Queen of New Orleans", and comedy from Frank Caliendo of "Frank TV".  Major celebrities and pro athletes, including Drew Brees, the New Orleans Saints Pro Bowl Quarterback, will be seated with major sponsors during dinner.  This event will be the largest of its kind in Louisiana, drawing energy industry executives throughout the Gulf Coast.      

"We are very excited about the Empowering the Community event," says Gervis LaFleur President of LACAP.  "We applaud the leadership of Black Elk Energy and hope that companies across the energy industry will participate in this very worthwhile endeavor to help the people of Louisiana."

"Giving back to the community is a fundamental principal of our business culture," says John Hoffman, President and CEO of Black Elk Energy.  "The Empowering the Community Event will be a unique and powerful way for the energy industry to demonstrate interest in the people of Louisiana while building good will.  We are already seeing broad support for this worthwhile event across the energy supply chain.  I invite the leadership of other companies to join us in supporting this initiative." 

 Advertas, a Houston marketing and public relations firm specializing in the energy industry, has been tasked with the organization and management of the event.  Those interested in sponsoring or participating in Empowering the Community should contact Hal Green, Managing Director of Advertas, at 713.480.2260 or via email: Hal@AdvertasMarketing.com.   

 

About Black Elk Energy

Black Elk Energy, LLC is an independent oil and gas company headquartered in Houston, Texas.  Founded by seasoned industry executives, Black Elk Energy is dedicated to creating exceptional returns in oil and gas through acquisition and exploitation.  Black Elk Energy has a specific competitive geographic focus within the Southern Gulf Coast states and the Midwest.  Within the geographic area, their technical focus is on low risk reservoir exploitation opportunities and operational improvements. 

About LACAP

Louisiana Association of Community Action Partnerships (LACAP) is a private, non-profit agency organized to promote programs engaged in raising the economic and social standards of low-income residents in the State of Louisiana. LACAP manages the community action programs in all 64 parishes of the state. Each year, LACAP's community action agencies assist over 600,000 Louisiana residents.