Destrehan teacher wins Angel Award

Barry Guillot, a middle school science teacher in Destrehan and resident of Luling, has been named a winner of this year's Angel Award presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana.

Guillot and seven others from around the state were selected for their outstanding volunteer service on behalf of Louisiana children.

Guillot is creator and coordinator of the LaBranche Wetland Watchers, a nationally recognized service-learning project that has helped nearly 8,000 students volunteer more than 40,000 hours since the project's inception in 1998.

A committee of past recipients of the Angel Award, which is now in its 13th year, considered 75 nominations from throughout the state before selecting this year's winners. Each honoree will receive a $20,000 grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation to be donated to a charity that benefits children. The winners will also be honored at a presentation ceremony Nov. 12 at the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center.

Other winners were:

Don O'Toole of Monroe- Has helped raise funds to grant wishes for terminally ill children in the Monroe region for nearly 21 years.

Dicie Gray of Mansfield- The director of the DeSoto Multicultural Center, which helps keep children off the street with year-round educational and recreational programs

Carolyn Stewart of Bossier City- Has fostered more than a dozen children whose extraordinary disabilities or problems prevented their placement in regular or specialized foster homes.

Catherine Tridico of New Orleans- A medical student who has been working with disabled and mentally ill children since she was 12-years old.

Stephanie Bernard of Lafayette- Sponsors a yearly multicultural youth congress serving between 900 and 1,200 young people from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.

Michelle Crouch of Lafayette- In memory of her only child, established the Jacob Crouch Foundation with a mission of suicide education, awareness and prevention .

Cory Hebert- A 14-year veteran of the Lafayette Police Department who has played a vital role in fundraising for Stuller Place, which offers support services for sexually abused children.