NEW ORLEANS – The Manning family is a staple in New Orleans since the patriarch, Archie, was drafted 54 years ago by the Saints to be their quarterback.
The family’s accomplishments on the field, which includes their three sons — Cooper, Peyton and Eli — are widely known, but they’re also active in the community.
During the Louisiana Legacy Gala Wednesday night, it was announced that Children’s Hospital New Orleans would be renamed Manning Family Children’s in tribute to the family’s longstanding commitment to serving children in the community.
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A crowd applauds panelists onstage at Raising Cane’s Louisiana Legacy at Louisiana NOW Pavilion Feb. 5, 2025, in New Orleans. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images for Raising Cane’s)
One of the main pillars of the hospital is never turning a child away, and it treated 585,000 children last year. During a press conference after the announcement, Cooper Manning explained how great the hospital is because his son, Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning, needed some treatment in the past.
“I can tell you Arch spent a lot of time at Children’s Hospital, and I was there taking him to get stitches. And we’ve spent a lot of time here,” Cooper said, jokingly. “Children’s Hospital is right down the street from us, and Arch is sad he couldn’t be here tonight.
“It’s a special spot, and my other son, Heid, we grew up practicing on that field and seeing the helicopter come in and all the kids taking a knee when they see the helicopter landing and going out with someone young.
“It’s part of the fabric of our youth growing up in New Orleans, and this is an unbelievable facility. We’re just flattered to be a part of it.”
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The Louisiana Legacy event celebrated Archie and Olivia Manning with the inaugural Louisiana Legacy Award for their commitment to the well-being of children and their families across the state and the country.
New Orleans-born and Baton Rouge-raised Todd Graves, the founder of Raising Cane’s, donated $1 million to Walker’s Imaginarium, which will be a first-of-its-kind interactive children’s museum within the hospital that’s named after Walker Beery, who fought terminal brain cancer before his death.
Graves called Archie Manning his idol and someone he always wanted to emulate in the community and spoke about the hospital’s mission.
(L-R) Cooper Manning, Todd Graves, Olivia Manning, Eli Manning and Archie Manning celebrate hospital renaming. (Raising Cane’s)
“They gave great care for 600,000 kids this year, and they don’t stop at that,” he said. “They keep building every year, taking care of more and more children regardless of whether you can afford it or not. For us, and for me living here in the states and one day, God willing, I’m going to have grandkids and great-grandkids, having this world-class care in our backyard is invaluable.”
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Archie added, “I can speak on behalf of my entire family. It’s very hard to put into words. To have a hospital named after you, this is not like making second-team All-SEC or anything like that. We just have such admiration for this hospital and the people and the leadership. For them to do this for our family, it’s one of the greatest things that’s happened in my life.”
Archie said the hospital honor beats all the football accomplishments.
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“I think it was in 2007, we dedicated Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis. And, in 2009, I think it was, we dedicated Eli Manning Children’s Clinics in Jackson, Miss. After both of those events, I told my sons that this is your finest hour, and I meant that. Football, in Peyton’s case, they’d just won a Super Bowl, and then Eli. I said, ‘What’s going on here is your finest hour.’
“Without a doubt, I can say this happening tonight and renaming this hospital is our family’s finest hour, and we’re very appreciative.”
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