Episode Details

Today on Discover Lafayette, we welcome Dale Clark, Ursula Quoyeser, and Kelly Viator to talk about the upcoming fifth annual Fin Feather Fur Food Festival, known as F5, benefiting Team Gleason Foundation. The event will be held April 30, 2026, at Blackham Coliseum, and if you’ve ever attended, you already know it’s one of those rare gatherings where incredible food, community spirit, and a powerful mission all come together.

This conversation brings us to the heart of why F5 matters, and why this cause continues to resonate so deeply across Acadiana.

Team Gleason is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by former New Orleans Saints safety Steve Gleason following his ALS diagnosis in 2011. Known for his iconic blocked punt in the Superdome that symbolized hope for a recovering New Orleans, Gleason has carried that same spirit into his life’s work. His message, “No White Flags,” has become a rallying cry for those facing ALS.

Today, Team Gleason is recognized as one of the largest nonprofit providers of equipment and technology to the ALS community. Their mission is focused on helping individuals not just survive, but truly live, through access to communication devices, mobility equipment, care services, and even “adventures” that allow families to create lasting memories together. In the past two years alone, requests for care services, equipment, technology, and experiences have increased by 70%, reflecting both the growing need and the trust families place in this organization.

As Kelly Viator of the Team Gleason Founation explains, their work begins with listening: “visit persons in their homes, to understand the environment that they’re living in and what technology would best suit them and at what time.”

That level