One of the many things I handled during my years at The Times-Picayune was the Loving Cup ceremony. Before I was more intimately involved, I thought this was just some award that was given to a well-known person in the community, to someone who knew a lot of people and sat on a lot of boards.
Every year as the nominating letters poured in, the number of people who wanted to make this city a better place never ceased to amaze me. People you would least expect rolled up their sleeves to help in any way they could.
It touched me to think that people cared so much for this city and the people in it. The Times-Picayune has given this award since 1901, and so many of the people who received the cup have had schools, hospitals and streets named for them as well. I hope it’s something that will be continued for years to come.
– Mary Ann Kleinschmidt