Operation Northern Comfort CEO Laurel Flanagan on the Syracuse Crawfish Festival Fundraiser On Good News York, host Noah interviews Laurel Flanagan, CEO of Operation Northern Comfort, about the organization’s origins after Hurricane Katrina, its continued disaster-response trips, and its current work in Central New York providing free ramps and lifts to residents who otherwise can’t safely leave their homes. Laurel previews the 19th annual Syracuse Crawfish Festival, held the first Saturday in May (May 2) in Clinton Square from 11–7, the group’s major fundraiser, featuring a family zone with books and literacy activities, local bands on a main stage plus a quieter second stage, Cajun and local foods (including crawfish, jambalaya, gumbo, beignets), crafters, and a mascot dance-off judged in part by the mayor. She shares her path from volunteering ...