By Ryan Arena
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — Local couple Steve and Lisa Hoover love to travel and plan a trip together almost every year, but they thought it wasn’t to be in 2015 due to extenuating circumstances.

But the trip is back on — with a major assist from the Ascension of Our Lord Knights of Columbus.

The Hoovers recently were chosen as the winners of the AOL Knights of Columbus Council 9623’s annual vacation giveaway package, consisting of a one-week stay in a condo of their choice and some spending cash to go along with it.

“We’re ecstatic,” Steve Hoover said.

“It came as quite a shock to us and a great surprise. We like to plan one vacation a year, but it looked like we wouldn’t be able to this year. So this came at a great time.”

Steve said he and Lisa hadn’t yet settled on where the vacation destination would ultimately be, but said it should come down to Colorado or Florida next summer.

“Our kids are grown up now,” he said, “so we like to travel as much as we can, now that we can.”

The drawing came from a list of names of people who donated $10 or more to the Knights of Columbus.

Those names were placed into the raffle drawing.

Coordinator Larry Larousse said the raffle raised close to $6,000 for Ascension of Our Lord.

“We use the funds to aid our charitable acts and helping us support our parish,” he said, noting the Knights do work with the disabled, the hungry and the elderly.

“Our Council is proud of its works in both the local church parish and the community.

Adds Grand Knight Mike Abbate: “we would like to thank our supporters who help make our charitable activities very successful by supporting such programs as our Vacation Giveaway.“