On July 2, 2026, tragedy struck in the quiet town of Lacombe, LA. Chris Rushing, a 38 year old man, jumped in the waters off of Lake Road to save an 8 year old family member. He was successful in saving the child, but ultimately drowned as a result of his heroic act.

 

That same evening, the Rotary Club of Lacombe had its regularly scheduled meeting and the members were discussing the tragic event. At some point the discussion turned to, "With all the people who frequent the area, there should have been life preservers out there to prevent that." That night, the People of Action sprung into action. The life preservers were bought before there was formal permission.

 

The Rotary Club worked with several entities to get permission and to honor Chris Rushing including: Big Branch Wildlife Refuge Authorities, Parish Councilman Joe Impastato, Design Doctor (Vinyl work) and the family of Chris Rushing. Ultimately, on July 10th, members of the Rotary Club of Lacombe, LA met with Chris Rushing's family to hang four life preservers at key locations along the popular recreational destination.

 

The fundamental element of Rotary is Service Above Self. Chris Rushing's selfless act not only saved his 8 year old relative, but ignited an initiative that can potentially save lives in the future as well. Furthermore, through Rotary's network, many other clubs have taken notice of and have started initiatives in their communities as well. The Rotary Club of Lacombe Louisiana is proud to have played a small role in bettering the community as a whole and remembering the legacy of a true hero.