By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
New Orleans will hold its big Mardi Gras celebration on Feb. 21 - exactly 47 days before Easter. St. Joseph Catholic School in Ellinwood will host its own version of the big day on Feb. 18. Meredith Joiner, fundraising coordinator for St. Joseph's, said this is the fourth year for the school fundraiser.
"It's basically like an adult Prom, which is something I always wanted to throw," she said. "The very first year we had one was February 2020, right before - we didn't even know COVID was going to hit."
The pandemic did throw a wrench in the programming. Mardi Gras was the theme for 2020, but with moving dates, the theme changed to a sock hop in 2021, and the Kentucky Derby for 2022.
"It was a total hit," Joiner said. "The theme was great, the dress was great, the meal was great. This year we're back to Mardi Gras because we're able to do it in February, which is around the time of Mardi Gras."
Tickets for the Mardi Gras Gala are $50 per person. Admission includes a full meal and the dance after. "World-famous Cajun Chef" Lyles Lashley has prepared the meals for all four fundraisers. This year's menu includes salad, Tuscan shrimp pasta, southern jambalaya, and a Cajun shrimp boil. Costumes are welcome but not required.
"This is not just for our parish," said Joiner. "This is for anybody that wants to come and have a good time. The dress can be anything from casual to, I'll be wearing a ball gown."
Jennifer Klepper will once again decorate the St. Joseph Parish Center, 110 W. 2nd in Ellinwood, for the event. Cocktail hour begins at 6 p.m., with dinner to follow at 7. The dance winds down at midnight.
Anyone interested in purchasing tickets can contact Joiner at (620) 617-1032, Klepper at (620) 786-9811, or St. Joseph School at (620) 564-2721.