The early response 'has been absolutely incredible,' said Jake Wood, the aquarium's director of marketing and public relations. 'We opened on a Wednesday in the middle of the day, and we were packed. We moved into the weekend, and we had lines that were wrapped around the building.'

More than 124,000 people in Northwest Louisiana benefi tted in 2016. For every dollar invested, United Way is able to provide $4.74 in return (ROI). More than 70 programs were funded in 2017 providing services to nearly 200,000 people.