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BATON ROUGE, La. — Melania Trump garnered loud applause at the Louisiana State-Alabama game on Saturday as she touted a $7.2 million scholarship endowment for foster children.
The first lady appeared on the Jumbotron, waving from her box surrounded by members of the Louisiana National Guard, during the conference championship game between the two southern universities.
She was in the state to welcome LSU to her Fostering the Future program, which covers tuition and other needs of foster children. Several of her scholars were on the field to mark the occasion.
“This achievement will give young people from foster care an anchor of stability, a strong educational foundation, and a chance to build a wonderful life,” she said at a ceremony before the game announcing the endowment.
The first lady was greeted by a sea of tailgaters and fans in purple upon her arrival at LSU, for the historic rivalry with the Crimson Tide. Beverages were raised to her motorcade as it arrived on campus with people waving and taking pictures with their cell phones.
Trump and her Fostering the Future brand had a heavy presence at the game. There were signs around the stadium with the Be Best Fostering the Future logo and Melania’s name.
LSU players have a Be Best Fostering the Future sticker on their helmet and a patch with the logo on their jerseys. The players received her challenge coin, which was also used during the coin toss at the start of game.
Fostering the Future was started by the first lady to support young people who have grown up in the foster care system. The initiative partners with 26 universities nationwide to provide educational opportunities for foster youth, including the University of Alabama.
She has made children’s issues one of her top priorities as first lady.
“A great education does more than prepare someone for work life. It gives something no one can ever take away. There is nothing more powerful we can give a young person than a world-class education,” she said at the ceremony.
She met with some of the scholarship recipients, offering them hugs and posing for pictures. Trump was presented with an LSU helmet bearing a sticker with the Be Best Fostering the Future logo, which LSU players wore on their helmets in Saturday’s game.
Former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron gave her a commemorative football. She also received a football jersey emblazoned with her name and the number 14, which is the number of students receiving Fostering the Future scholarships, and a custom wooden bowl made from the branch of one of the 100-year-old oaks on campus.
The school’s mascot, Mike the Tiger, was on hand to cheer and gave the first lady a high-five.
For the scholarship fund, the MMR Group committed $5 million with contributions from additional LSU Foundation donors, according to the East Wing. MMR Group is a local electrical and instruments contractor.
LSU President Wade Rousse said there are 14 LSU students that are Fostering the Future scholars and receive funding to cover the cost of tuition, fees and books.
The new endowment will also cover room and board for the students.
