Mardi Gras: The Show Must Go On

Kenosha News

February 7, 2008

By: Gary J. Kunich

Snow?!?!?

Tremper High School students weren’t bothered by any stinkin’ snow, and neither were a lot of other people who braved the elements and came to the school’s Mardi Gras Night at the Rhode Opera Center for the Arts Tuesday.

Students put on the gala complete with jugglers, musicians, and fortune tellers to give it an authentic New Orleans feel. The purpose was to raise money for the school’s spring break trip to that area, where they’d like to help rebuild a community center.

“The turnout was fantastic, just phenomenal,” said teacher Todd Hardy. “we pretty much had a full house from 4:15 until 7 pm.”

Hardy gave props to area restaurants that turned out despite inclement weather to cater the fundraising vent-Caroline’s Coffee, the Boathouse, Eddie’s Steakhouse, Wine Knot, Franks Diner, Luoie’s Pizza and Derango’s. The two pizza purveyors came in at the last minute-literally-when another restaurant canceled at 3:45 p.m.

The event brought in $4,000, and the total collected in now $8,000. However, the group needs at least another $6,000 to make the trip a reality.

“It’s going to cost at least $6,000 for all of us to get down there, and we don’t want to spend all that money just to get there,” Hardy said. “The purpose is to rebuild the community center and not just go to New Orleans. If we don’t have enough, we may just end up cutting a check and sending it to them, but the goal was to do the actual work.”