Dear editor,
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Vicksburg Foundation for Historic Preservation, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our generous sponsors and volunteers for making the Fourth Annual Carnaval de Mardi Gras a tremendous success.  Special thanks to our sponsors: Dorethea “Charlie” Gholson, Trustmark National Bank, David and Lara Clement, the Bell-Hanna Foundation, Capital City Beverage, the Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation, Lady Luck Casino, Ameristar Casino, Diamond Jacks Casino, Slipin Slidin Water Slides, The Liquor Store, Corner Market, Heavenly Ham, McAlister’s Deli, McDonalds, United Rentals, Kroger, Vicksburg Specialty Co, Sheffield Rental, F & G Liquor, KJ’s River Town Grill, Waste Management, Martin’s at Midtown, and Richard McComas.  We would also like to thank our great Cajun Gumbo Cook-off teams!  The competition was stiff and the gumbo was delicious!  We sincerely appreciate the difficult task that our gumbo judges- Boo Noble, Wayne Pitre, Donna Sessions, Tim Reeves, and David Beldon, had and we thank them for their time and expertise!
Events such as this take a tremendous number of volunteer hours before, during, and after the event.  We are particularly grateful for the leadership of our Carnaval de Mardi Gras chairperson, Alainna O’Bannon, who put together a hardworking and talented committee.  We would not have had such a successful event without committee members Katie Ferrell, Bess Averett, Angie Wilkinson, Stacey Massey, Amy Scott, Margaret Thames, Casie Combs, Tammy Allen, Holly Chewning, Holly Porter, Lacy Lee, Jody Sumerall, David O’Bannon, Amber Tillotson, and Amy Rainer.  We would also like to thank those who volunteered during the day of the event and the necessary cleanup afterward: Ronnie Bounds, David Clement, Denise Garner, Lenore Barkley, Beth and Clayton Whitehead, Jeff Averett, Minor Ferris, Sena Blackledge, Sandy Vickers, Alice Hebler, and the hard-working group of young people from Americorps.
Once again, thank you to all those who participated in making this not only a great celebration of Mardi Gras, but a great fundraiser for the Foundation, in its efforts to identify, preserve, and protect Vicksburg’s unique architectural heritage.  We look forward to Mardi Gras 2016!
Nancy H. Bell
Executive Director