K.C. Toups Memorial Scholarship
On January 20, 2011, Dr. Kristofor "K.C." Toups was transporting animals from one practice to another when he was involved in a fatal automobile accident near Raceland, La. Soon after, his family, friends, LSU School of Veterinary Medicine classmates and hometown of Thibodaux, La., came together to establish a scholarship in his name.
Deborah Toups, K.C.'s mother, explained, "Our family decided to honor K.C. with a scholarship because we wanted something that would last forever, so our goal was to create an endowment."
She noted that K.C. had been very concerned about the cost of attending veterinary school. As such, his family felt that supporting future veterinarians through a scholarship for farm animal students would honor K.C. by defraying recipients' costs related to pursuing externships.
The first K.C. Toups Memorial Scholarship recipient was named in April 2011, shortly after K.C.'s friends and family and Hope for Animals, a no kill animal shelter, co-hosted the Kause for Critters 5K run/walk and dog walk in Thibodaux. The fund received another sizeable boost that summer when Triple P Farms hosted an auction at the Lafourche Parish Cattleman's Association, yielding $20,000 in support and bringing the funds raised to the $40,000 needed for an endowed scholarship.
Proceeds from Kause for Critters, now an annual event, are split between the scholarship fund and Hope for Animals. In conjunction with the race, Deborah coordinated the addition of a silent auction to specifically benefit the scholarship fund. This continuing support for the fund will help to ensure that the K.C. Toups Memorial Scholarship can be awarded for years to come.
"We have been truly blessed with family and friends that have supported us in our efforts to honor K.C.," Deborah shared, adding, "It is truly a tribute to the wonderful veterinarian and person he was."