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 12th Annual Carnaval de Mardi Gras Gumbo Cook-off a tremendous success.

Special thanks to our sponsors: Riverwalk Casino, Blueridge Brewing Company, International Paper, Capital City Beverage, the Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation, Bally’s Casino, Curb Appeals Real Estate, Vicksburg Video, Delta Bank, Trustmark National Bank, Waterview Casino, Slipin Slidin Water Slides, Waste Management, Martin’s at Midtown, Super Junior, The Liquor Store, Ameristar Casino, Big Fun Balloons by Debbie, and Gumbo Blues Le Roux. 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 – Tim DeRossette, Stephanie Parker, Jacques Parmegiani, and Bill Steinriede – had and we thank them for their time and expertise! This year we welcomed a separate set of judges who determined the best decorated booth and most spirited! Thanks also go to Keys vs. Strings Band for providing the great party music.

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 committee members who put their hearts and souls into this event every year, with special thanks to Stacey Mahoney for chairing the event! Thank you to our other members including Jai Reaves, Tammy Allen, Hope King, Brynn Morgan, and Cindy Veazey. We would also like to thank those who volunteered during the day of the event and the necessary cleanup afterward: Ronnie Bounds, Minor Ferris, Abby Grant, JR Reaves, Reed Lambert, Thomas Richardson, Mike Calnan, “Smokey” and Ginger Kelly, Lisa Hill, Norma Massey, Rachelle Androwski, James Androwski, Zoe Androwski, Jeff Merritt, John and Lisa Martin and their crew of beer pourers, Cian Miller, Evy Robertson, Isaac Mayo, Nick Allen, Jim Chaney, Ashley and Frank Dawson, Cindy Fowler, Bonnie Hardin, Mandy Harris, Joshua Jamison, Paige Lambert, Campbell McCoy, Coralee Sherburn, Bailey Smith, Kimberly Smith, Jessica Hasty, Justin Milford, Elijah Montgomery, Miss Vicksburg Brelynn Beck, Miss Teen Vicksburg Addie Grace Clay, and the hard-working group of young people from Americorps.

We would also like to thank the City of Vicksburg, The Vicksburg Post, the Vicksburg Police Department, the Warren County
Sheriff’s Department, and the Vicksburg Fire Department for their overwhelming support, this year and every year.

Once again, thank you to all those who participated in making this not only a great celebration of Mardi Gras, but a great fund-raiser for the Foundation, in its effort to identify, preserve, protect, and interpret Vicksburg’s unique architectural heritage. We
look forward to the 13th Annual Gumbo Cook-off – Mardi Gras 2025!

Sincerely,
Nancy H. Bell
Executive Director