Avoyelleans attend Trump inauguration

When Donald J. Trump raised his hand and swore to defend the Constitution as this nation’s President, a delegation from Avoyelles Parish was among the thousands who descended on Washington, D.C., for Trump’s inauguration.
The group included Tommy and Cindy Maddie of Simmesport, David and Toni Vollman of Bunkie and Bunkie native Dr. Chris Griffin and his wife, Dr. Amy Griffin, who now live in Alexandria. They were in the nation’s capital for five days and attended several events around the city, including the inauguration at noon this past Friday (Jan. 20).
Also there for the inauguration were Hessmer native Rock Bordelon and his wife Kristi, who now live in Bossier City. Rock Bordelon has several family members in Avoyelles. He is president of Allegiance Health Management and owner/chairman of the board of Avoyelles Hospital in Marksville.
“This was an unbelievable experience for all of us during the trip,” Maddie said by phone shortly after the inauguration. “Trump is something America needs. He will bring jobs back to America and he will work with the military and protect our borders. I like his slogan of “Make America Great Again.”
Bordelon, whose sports series “On The Road with Rock & Aaron” airs Mondays on the Sportsman Channel, met Donald Trump Jr. through that show. The two are currently discussing healthcare businesses.
The Avoyelleans attended a concert at the Lincoln Memorial last Thursday (Jan. 19) that included musicians Lee Greenwood and Toby Keith. The highlight of the evening was an appearance by Donald Trump and his wife, Melania. Trump gave a short speech that excited the crowd.
On Inauguration Day, the local group attended a breakfast hosted by the Louisiana Republican congressional delegation.
U.S. Representative Ralph Abraham, who represents Avoyelles Parish, gave the couples tickets to attend the inauguration.
Trying to get into the inauguration was a problem as protesters caused police to close the gate that the Maddies, Vollmans and Griffins needed to enter. The group watched the inauguration from near the Reflecting Pool, but were able to hear Trump’s speech clearly.
“It was a great day and has been a great trip,” Vollman said. “D.C. is a busy place, but it has been fun because it was my first inauguration. What struck me most was the shear number of people attending the inauguration. They were from every corner of the globe.”
Vollman believes Trump will lead the United States in a positive direction. He likes that Trump is a businessman and not a career politician.
The group tried to watch some of the inauguration parade, but rain forced them to leave early.
There were protesters disrupting the parade, despite the rain.
“We weren’t close to the protesters, but we did see the problems between the protesters and police,” Maddie said. “Police were using pepper spray to break them up. The protesters put a damper on an exciting day.”
After the inauguration parade, the group returned to the hotel exhausted. They didn’t attend any of the inauguration balls that night and just stayed close to the hotel.
The group returned to Avoyelles on Sunday afternoon.