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‘Mountain Mardi Gras’ to raise money for WNC children
By Justin Goble
The Carolina Mountain Trust is gearing up for its third-annual Mountain Mardi Gras Ball on Feb. 25.
Each year the event raises money to provide grants for organizations serving children in Jackson and six other Western North Carolina counties. The gala is also an opportunity for the Trust to recognize members of the community who volunteer on behalf of area children and youth.
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Carolina Mountain Trust Board Chair Sheryl Rudd, left, 2004 Mardi Gras Queen Marsha Crites, 2005 Queen Iris DeRosa, 2005 King Tom Dill and 2004 King Lee Crites take part in the coronation ceremony at last year’s Carolina Mountain Trust Mountain Mardi Gras Ball. The event which raises money to provide grants for organizations serving children in Western North Carolina, is entering its third year. According to Crites, last year’s festivities raised $3,000 for the cause, and she said she expects this year’s event to raise even more. Along with the fund-raising efforts, the celebration’s coronation of a king and queen recognizes two members of the community who have dedicated themselves to serving on behalf of children. This year’s event is set for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 6:30 p.m. at the Balsam Mountain Inn. Tickets are $50 each and include dinner, dancing and entertainment. They may be purchased by calling Region A Partnership for Children at 586-0661 or Mountain Stewardship Alliance at 586-8745.
This year’s ball will be begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Balsam Mountain Inn. The evening will include buffet dining, which will feature Cajun delicacies: shrimp fritters, blackened catfish, jambalaya and king cake. Local island musicians The Carribean Cowboys will provide music.
According to Trust board member Marsha Crites, the event began when learned the large number of residents who had moved to the area from New Orleans.
“Well, we found out that there are a lot of people from New Orleans that have moved up here,” Crites said. “This was before Katrina. They enjoy Mardi Gras, but they don’t want to travel to New Orleans. This became an opportunity to offer the Mardi Gras experience while helping a good cause.”
Settling on the Mardi Gras theme was a trial-and-error effort, Crites said. Though the Trust had put on fund-raising celebrations before, none have proven to be as popular.
“We had been doing parties and balls (to raise money) before the Mountain Mardi Gras,” Crites said. “The Mardi Gras has been the most popular. It grows every year. We held the first one in Cherokee. There was a small but enthusiastic crowd. There was a bigger crowd the second year, and we’re expecting an even bigger one this year.”
Though the Mardi Gras celebration is typically associated with wild, extravagant parties, Crites said the Trust’s annual event taps into its origins as a religious celebration before Lent. Though not tied to any religious affiliation, the Trust’s event allows people to celebrate while helping out a good cause, she said.
“People forget that Mardi Gras is a part of a religious holiday,” Crites said. “ When people think about Mardi Gras, they usually think about it as some really decadent event. But it started out as a celebration before the fasting and serious contemplation of Lent. This taps into that. We’re celebrating, but doing it for a good, serious cause. The nice thing about it is that it’s during the dead of winter. People get can get cabin fever. This allows them to get out and be playful.”
The event has proven to be a spectacle among regular attendees, Crites said. One of the places this is most evident is in the costumes some people wear to the celebration. While “cocktail attire” is suggested, Crites said people sometimes decide to celebrate the spirit of the evening’s theme and come in elaborate outfits designed for the festivities.
“Some people come in wild costumes,” Crites said. “Others come in cocktail attire. People don’t have to come in costumes, but they’re fun. Some people work all year long on them. Others decide the night before that they’re going to wear a costume and go get something from a thrift store.”
The crowning of the year’s Mardi Gras king and queen has also become an anticipated tradition. Crites said recipients of the honor are chosen by members of the Trust’s board. The main criteria for choosing the honorees is the dedication they have show to serving children in the area. Though no formal nominations for the crowns are taken, Crites said the decision is usually easy.
“There’s not a nominating process,” she said. “The committee chooses people who have dedicated their lives to serving children and youth. We’ve never had any real disagreements about it. It’s always been a unanimous decision.”
Though there are no extravagant festivities when coronating the king and queen, Crites said the Trust does want the honorees to be recognized for their efforts.
“We have thrones that they have to sit on,” Crites said. “Last year’s king and queen crown the current ones. They have to ride in the Christmas parade on the Mardi Gras float. So far, we’ve had 100 percent participation.”
Names of this year’s king and queen are were not available before press time.
So far, the event had succeeded in raising funds to make grants for children’s organizations. Crites said the Trust has seen continued growth in the amount raised from year to year, and expects the number to be higher again this year. While putting on such an event, she said there is a fine line to walk with ticket prices, since Trust members want the event to be open to as many people as possible while raising a significant amount of money to help WNC children.
“Last year, we raised $3,000,” Crites said. “We anticipate that we will raise more this year. Someone may think that $50 is a lot of money, but it’s pretty cheap when compared to other charity events that are held in the area. People get their money’s worth. We want to encourage everyone to come. It is not the kind of charity event where you can only come when you’re wealthy.”
As for future plans, Crites said she expects the celebration to continue each year. Citing the fact that Mardi Gras celebrations will take place in New Orleans despite the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, she said the Trust will keep their event going as a tribute to the resolve of residents in the “Big Easy.”
“We’re going to continue to do it every year,” Crites said. “We’re cognizant of the fact that the real Mardi Gras will go on, and our hearts and thoughts are with those people.”
Tickets for the event are $50 each, and which includes meal and entertainment. A special package includes a night’s lodging at the Balsam Mountain Inn.
To purchase tickets, call the Region A Partnership for Children at 586-0661 or the Mountain Stewardship Alliance at 586-8745.
Space is limited, so those wishing to attend are asked to make reservations early, Crites said.
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