“Laissez les bons temps rouler” is a popular term heard this time of the year around Mardi Gras meaning to “let the good times roll.” Those good times will be rolling in Brewton on Friday, Feb. 28 when the Wild at Heart’s Relay For Life Team will join up with The Yancey Jernigan Foundation for a Mardi Gras Ball.
“We were just trying to think of something we could do jointly with the Yancey Jernigan Foundation and Wild at Heart’s Relay For Life team,” Sarju Patel, one of the organizers for the event said. “I have lived in Mobile for 20-something years and I love going to Mardi Gras. Emmie Jernigan was talking about having some kind of party and we decided it was the perfect season for Mardi Gras and it just kind of came up. And we just love having a good party as well.”
Patel said the night would be people just showing up and dancing and having a good time.
“We are planning to have a DJ from Mobile, Kristen Raley, come from Mobile,” Patel said. “With the Mardi Gras Ball, we are trying to make it friendly so we are not requiring tuxedos but a lot of people are going to be wearing tuxedos. Suits are definitely required or preferred. As for gowns, we have had a lot of questions about the attire. Short gowns are fine, but most everybody is going to be wearing long gowns. With the tuxedo rentals, Weavers downtown is going to donated $10 for every tuxedo rental that they do for the ball to our cause.”
Patel said the money raised for The Yancey Jernigan Foundation stays local while the monies raised by the Relay For Life team goes more to the regional cause and for the American Cancer Society.
“The Wild at Heart group is a group we started about a year ago,” she said. “What we do with that is around Christmas time we sponsor families and seniors. At graduation time, we do a scholarship for a senior girl from T.R. Miller and one from W.S. Neal. Each year we hope to increase the amount of scholarship that we give out. We are also doing a tipsy taxi that night. I don’t really know the times of that, but I am sure it will be in the range of times of the ball. I know they are going to pick people up and drop them off. They are not going to charge, but donations are accepted and will go directly to the drivers. That will be their way of getting paid for that.”
Tickets can be purchased at Thou Art, Weavers, the Ramada in Brewton and any of the girls in the Wild at Heart team.
“You can by your tickets from girls on the Wild at Heart team and they are: Halie Ball, Kelly Burton-Webb, Kelly Billingsley, LaRae Boyd, Megan Brantley, Meredith McMillan Buck, Stephanie Lisenby Dolihite, Ashley Hines Feeley, Gina Dullard Hart, Brooke Taylor Hartin, Summer Moore Jacks, Emmie Jernigan, Hilary Kirkland, Missi Sanford Ledbetter, Sarju Patel, Mandy McKenzie Smith, Margaret Ann Smith, and Cindy Williamson,” Patel said. “We are trying not to sell any tickets the day of the event so we ask people to please pre-purchase them. We are trying to sell 200 and as of right now we have sold around 60-70 tickets.”
The Mardi Gras Ball will be held at The L House and The Ritz in Brewton and will begin at 7 p.m.
Entertainment, Hors d’oeuvres, beer and wine will be provided. The tickets are $25 each.
For any questions, people can contact Patel at 251-241-4616.