Mardi Gras krewes give back to the community - Jambalaya Jubilee

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Mardi Gras krewes give back to the community

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More than a party: Mardi Gras krewes give back to the community

They sponsor a camp for adult cancer survivors.

Serve Thanksgiving dinner for the hungry at Shreveport-Bossier Rescue

Mission.

Collect supplies for a hospice.

Gather toys for children.

Provide free haircuts in a poor neighborhood.

And pack boxes filled with gifts for local Marines based in Iraq.

The 20 krewes of Mardi Gras in the Ark-La-Tex have a conscience and a heart.

From the smallest of the groups to the largest, they give back in modest and

large ways to the northwest Louisiana towns and cities where they live.

They touch lives.

Make no bones about it, they party, party, party, yes. They sponsor

coronations and throw grand balls and plan fabulous parades - also enjoyed

by people who live here. They present social events in honor of their

royalty and captains, and, it seems, just because.

But since the Mystic Krewe of Apollo Shreveport started the modern

celebration of Mardi Gras in Shreveport-Bossier City 22 years ago, followed

three years later by Gemini, the krewes have given back.

There are 20 now in northwest Louisiana, and they serve their communities,

sometimes with abandon, but often very quietly.

And creatively.

For instance, this year, the Krewe de les Femmes Mystique paid for 10 boxes

to be shipped to troops in Iraq. As part of their volunteer work at Odyssey

Healthcare Hospice, the Krewe of Akewa, Minden, buys small crosses to give

to families of those who have died.

And after Hurricane Katrina, Krewe of Artemis-Springhill set up the

Hurricane Evacuee Center and maintained it for six weeks. ( " According to

FEMA, we are the only Mardi Gras krewe to ever do this, " said official Janet

Reeves.)

From the time it was formed in 1986, the Krewe of Apollo, the oldest krewe

in the Shreveport-Bossier City area, has worked to educate the public on

HIV/AIDS prevention and provided help and relief to individuals affected by

them, said Apollo Captain Gust Bridges.

Their aid today has expanded. Apollo raises funds for Philadelphia Center,

G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and Easter Seals.

And the Krewe of Gemini, formed in 1989, began taking Mardi Gras to

hospitals two or three years after it became an organization, said charter

member Russ Friedrich.

" We did that at first just for Shriners Hospital for Children, but it has

grown to other hospitals, to LSU Health Sciences Center and to Schumpert and

nursing homes, " Friedrich said. " It is a full day between our ball and

parade and, basically, Harrah's Horseshoe provides buses for our

transportation. "

The visitations are late in the season because royalty costumes are secret

to the public until after the ball and royalty wear their full costumes to

the centers they visit. Other krewe members who participate wear highly

decorated Mardi Gras jackets and stand out among the crowd.

" We start at 9 a.m. at Shriner's and give them a mini-tableau, very similar

to the grand ball and we announce the royalty. It is based on the ball

program, " Friedrich said.

Afterward, krewe members give throws out and march around the facilities in

the traditional Second Line dance.

" We try to break up in small groups and spend time with patients, " Friedrich

said.

Other krewes have followed Gemini's lead, taking the festive affair to

schools and nursing homes and other places.

The patients love it because it takes their minds off being in the hospital

and they like learning about the traditions of Mardi Gras and the krewes,

said Dr. ph Bocchini, professor and head of pediatrics at Children's

Hospital of LSU Hospital in Shreveport.

" The children get very excited about seeing the krewes with their costumes

and beads, " Bocchini said.

This year, Mardi Gras fan Tom Adair entreated the Mardi Gras in the

Ark-La-Tex Captain's Council to contribute items, such as snacks and

toiletries, and pack them for Bossier City Bravo Company 23rd Marines

Reservist Unit, serving in Iraq.

The council is composed of captains from all the krewes and is headed up by

Captain Doug Wolvington, who strongly encouraged members to get behind the

project.

" We put together 330 priority mail boxes for the 70-plus Marines, " Adair

said. " Their families were there to address the boxes. "

As part of the program, Akewa Queen Gail Wolvington asked students at Red

River Elementary School, Coushatta, to make Christmas cards for the troops.

And those schoolchildren also donated $500 in postage for the boxes, Adair

said.

Toys for Tots has been a seasonal project of Krewe des les Femmes Mystique,

which promotes community work on a monthly basis, said krewe founder,

Captain Sandy s.

This year was no exception. When the group threw its Christmas party at the

home of , they called in the U.S. Marines - to pick up the toys.

" This year, they asked us to bring gifts for older kids, " s said.

" In the beginning, we selected Toys for Tots because the Marines give to

kids all over the community, " she said.

When the krewe started in 1999, the 23 women said although it wanted to

celebrate, performing community service was important, too.

" We do a lot of work with women and children, " s said.

Already, they are thinking about 2008.

" There are a lot of homeless people and vets. They will be our project after

the first of the year, " she said.

Contributions to sickle cell anemia research is among the projects for the

Krewe of Harambee, Captain LeMar Flukers said.

To continue its public works, Harambee will sponsor a new project on Ash

Wednesday.

" We are going to have a career day at Huntington High School, " Flukers said.

People from different professions, such as Shreveport Police Chief Henry

Whitehorn and Mc's franchise owner Roy Griggs, will discuss different

jobs and professions.

" We want them to know that you don't have to be in sports or entertainment

to make a living. You can graduate from high school, graduate from the

Shreveport Fire Department and earn almost $30,000 as a starting salary.

That is above the median salary here. Or you can own your own business, "

said Flukers, who develops real estate and is a commercial general

contractor of Realty Teams and Giant Construction.

To help raise funds for its public service, the group presented " The Black

Out, " a gala party in early December.

Although Krewe of Highland hasn't pinpointed specific projects, it does

contribute food to the Highland Center, Captain Terry Gill said.

Just a small sampling of some of the other krewes' projects:

n Aesclepius: A sponsor for Camp Bluebird, a camp for adult cancer

survivors. Assists with Jambalaya Jubilee for children wiith juvenile

arthritis.

n Krewe of ian: Contributes to Shreveport Bar Association for the

Shreveport Bar Foundation. The foundation has an assortment of projects,

assisting such programs as Volunteers for Youth Justice and Caddo Sheriff

Steve Prator's Safety Town.

n Krewe of Centaur: Supported efforts to raise money for , a

student at Youree Drive Middle School, for a heart transplant.

n Krewe des Ambassadeurs: Raises money for Minden Homeless Shelter, where

the krewe also provides dinner at Thanksgiving and gifts at Christmas and

gives a portion of its proceeds to purchases items at the shelter.

n Krewe of Barkus & Meoux: Provides monetary support of therapy pets and

Mercy Home.

n Krewe of Elders: Raises funds for the American Legion and takes the

merriment of Mardi Gras to nursing homes and hospitals.

n Krewe of Sobek: Enriches the Queensborough community through the annual

Mardi Gras parade that winds through the neighborhood. Provides free school

supplies and free haircuts in the section through the help of area barbers.

And makes contributions to several organizations.

n Krewe of Atlas: Emphasizes contributions to small agencies. At their

Christmas event, they collected donations for the Food Bank of Northwest

Louisiana.

So, when you are catching throws at a parade or read about a ball, a

crawfish boil or a tea, just remember that behind all the frivolity, there

are quieter moments.

There are causes to be served.