MAURICE - They came, they danced and they had a great time for the seventh annual Cajun Cultural Association Grand Gathering held Saturday in Maurice.

The dancing began at 9 a.m. when the band, “The Outlaws” started playing and ended when Donny Broussard and the La. Stars played until 5 p.m.

Even with the electricity going out early that afternoon for 45 minutes, the people remained

As of Monday, the Cajun Culture Association had not figured out how much money it had raised.

“It was a huge success,” said Ricky Benoit, who is the president of the Cajun Culture Association. “We had a great turnout.”

Benoit said the Cajun Culture Association would like to thank all of its sponsors for their support.

The money raised will go towards educating students about the Cajun Culture. Two students will be awarded money to take fiddle and accordion lessons, while another student will travel to Canada for the French Emersion Program.

At the end of the celebration, the association honored four people who have dedicated a large part of their lives to keeping Cajun music and the culture alive and well.

Three of the four honored were musicians. The only one who was not is Eula Gapsard, who is from Cow Island.

Gaspard, who is 79, has been with the Cajun Culture Association for 11 years.

For the association she has organized cake sales and cake walks and has raised thousands of dollars for the organization.

“I love everyone and love to see them having a good time with good Cajun music,” said Gaspard.

Donny Broussard

Donny Broussard is no stranger to playing Cajun music in south Louisiana.

The 45-year-old has been plaing Cajun music for 34 years. He can play the accordion, steel guitar, drums and fiddle. He has taught many students how to play the fiddle.

The Kaplan native, who works at the Kaplan State Bank, is also an avid song writer and singer for the La. Stars band which performed Saturday.

He has been playing with that band for 10 years. He has also played the Touchet Brothers Band, along with Jason Freyman, Travis Matte, Lee Abshire, Hubert Maitre and Robert Elkins.

He is has received numerous awards over his career.

In 2000, he was inducted into the Lake Charles CFMA Chapter Hall of Fame and two years ago he was honored by the LeCajun Committee in Crowley.

Russell Gary

Russell Gary was honored by the association for all of his work he has done with the Cajun culture and Cajun music. Gary is a long time member of the Cajun Band, the Fa Tras out of Abbeville. Despite his medical set back, Gary continues to play in the band and promote the Cajun Culture.

On Saturday, he played the triangle with Donny Broussard’s bands.

Belton Richard

Belton, from Rayne, first started playing rock and roll a teenager but returned to Cajun music; in 1959 he formed the band the Music Aces.

He has been a popular Cajun musician through the 1960s and 1970s filling up dance halls wherever he played.

Richard got interested in Swamp Fox music but continued to play Cajun music.

He was selected to be an original member of the Cajun French Hall of Fame in 1997. In 2000, he received the Rayne-Acadia Parish Hall of Honor signature award.