Julie Montegut smiles as she arranges dessert plates Thursday night before the supper is served at the CCA-Louisiana Sugar Chapter banquet in Cade. Montegut and her husband, Randy, have owned Bon Creole since the 1980s.

CADE — Energy typically associated with the annual CCA-Louisiana Sugar Chapter banquet definitely was alive and well Thursday night inside the Cade Community Center.

The supper was tasty, the camaraderie reached and stayed at a high level, raffle and auction (live and silent) prizes looked great and tantalizing, all as usual. What was missing was the usual number of people.

Sugar Chapter officials made the most of coronavirus pandemic-related blahs and raised an estimated $100,000, according to chapter president Kelly Frederick of New Iberia. She estimated a turnout of approximately 250 banquet-goers.

“It was much lower than previous years due to COVID(-19). We were expecting less attendees this year but were going to roll with it because it’s for a good cause and anything helps,” Frederick said around midday Friday, adding chapter officials appreciated each and every outdoorswoman and outdoorsman who attended the event.

“We grossed about $100,000, which is good for the low amount of people we had there last night. So it was a good turnout.”

The Sugar Chapter honored two New Iberia outdoorsmen, State Rep. Beau Beaullieu and past Sugar Chapter president Dusty Hulin. Beaullieu was recognized as the Legislator of the Year while Hulin, still active on the committee, received the Volunteer of the Year Award named after the late Loreauville Mayor Al Broussard.

While many industries and endeavors have slowed, some to a crawl, because of the omnipresent threat, the state’s largest conservation group isn’t slowing down. CCA-Louisiana is on top of its game of enhancing resources off the coast of the Sportsman’s Paradise.

CCA-Louisiana Executive Director David Cresson talked about future plans as he watched the event unfold after dispensing cups for the “bottomless cup” raffle. He made the trip from Baton Rouge with Rad Trascher, director of development and S.T.A.R. tournament director.

Cresson said the next project gets underway early next month in our neck of the woods, Vermilion 69, in partnership with Shell and state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. That area will be the site of the newest artificial reef with material dropped over an old oil and gas platform that gave up beaucoup saltwater fish before it was dismantled in the Gulf of Mexico.

It is the first of several installations planned for the next few months. Another is scheduled for our area at old Eugene Island 51, which awaits permitting of material by the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“It’s going to be rapid fire this fall. Hopefully, we’re going to do that (E.I. 51) as fast as possible,” Trascher said.

Since 2002, more than 30 artificial reefs have been dropped to provide new habitat for marine life. Artificial reef projects are underway now at Bay Marchand and South Timbalier 51.

Trascher looked around the banquet hall and assessed the banquet. He was upbeat.

“It’s a wonderful night and I’m so glad to see this many people because it’s been too long since we were able to gather. I’m glad we are able to have it,” he said.

The Sugar Chapter, with members from Iberia, St. Martin and St. Mary parishes, canceled its annual banquet last year at the Cade Community Center. Instead, with coronavirus restrictions and concerns mounting, the chapter held a “virtual” banquet starting Aug. 20 and ending with an online live auction Aug. 27.

Several CCA-Louisiana officials from the region attended Thursday. One of them was Thomas Breaux of Boutte, who gauged the potential turnout before the food was served.

“I don’t know, maybe 300 people. You never know. (But) if you have the right people in the room, it can be a great banquet even if you have half the people you used to have,” said Breaux, regional director who oversees New Orleans, Slidell, East Jefferson, Jefferson, Plaquemines, South Lafourche and Morgan City.

“I think that’s a pretty good estimate, right at 100 ($100,000), which we’re pretty pleased with, for sure. I mean, we’re obviously dealing with different times as we navigate through the pandemic. We’ve certainly seen that in other places,” Cresson said. “We’re really proud of this event and really proud of everything that chapter does for us. It’s one of the best put on by one of the best chapters in the state and the country.”

Two of the most interesting live auction items were an African safari hunt for warthogs and impalas, valued at $10,000, that went to Todd Faucheaux of New Iberia, and a speckle-belly goose hunt for three with New Iberia guide Elliott Sale in Gueydan that had a high bid from Smitty Smith.

Bon Creole owner Randy Montegut of New Iberia was on hand to feed the crowd. The banquet’s caterer, who was celebrating his 71st birthday on the job, said he enjoys the event.

“Oh, yeah. We know a lot of people here when we come, a good crew. I hope they have a good event. We’re ready for them. We bring a lot of help,” he said, noting approximately 15 people, including cooks and servers, helped.

He said they cooked for 500 people but were prepared to serve more if necessary.

Montegut, his wife, Julie, and their staff served fried catfish, chicken, pork and sausage gumbo, green beans and brownies. They cooked 150 pounds of catfish filets, 60 pounds of chicken, 40 pounds of pork, 20 pounds of sausage, a little more than 50 pounds of rice and 100 pounds of frozen green beans.