DES MOINES, Iowa — Stephen Smith knows there's nothing like people coming together over a crawfish boil.
The Louisiana native moved to Iowa six years ago. While he's come to appreciate everything Iowa has to offer, he started to miss New Orleans cuisine and the community that came with it.
"Down South, a crawfish boil is what brings everybody together," said Smith. "It brings together a great diversity of people...different schools, different ideals."
A few years ago, Smith decided to see if he could pull of a crawfish boil in Des Moines. But he wanted to go big, and also have it support a good cause.
Now in its third year, the Cajun Fest Boil & Brew raises money for the Youth Emergency Shelter and Services of Iowa (YESS).
"Every single dollar that we capture goes to YESS," said Smith. "Everybody is donating their time, everybody has donated the efforts."
Sunday, the sold-out event served up 700 pounds of crawfish that were shipped overnight from New Orleans.
Eighty volunteers donated their time and the Cajun Fest committee raised $70,000 with the help of some big sponsors. YESS director of philanthropy, Zach Rus, says that donation is invaluable.
"We can use that money to make sure the kids that come through shelter feel like it’s a home for them," Rus said. "Also, the kids in the community have the resources they need to take steps forward and be better people."
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Monica Hedges lives in Des Moines and said attending on Sunday gave her a rare chance to eat Cajun cuisine.
"This is only the second time that I've had [crawfish]," said Hedges. "I only had this in New Orleans when I went on vacation."
Not only did the crawfish come from New Orleans, the people cooking it up flew out as well.
"I like to have it plenty flavorful," said Frank Monzon, from New Orleans. "So the ingredients are garlic, onions, sausage, and of course, beautiful crawfish of Louisiana."
Smith said it's exciting for him to be able to share those unique flavors with people in his new community.
"I feel very fortunate. I feel very grateful that Des Moines continues to embrace different cultures, different flavors, new ideas. Just happy to be a part of the community now."