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 9th annual Carnaval de Mardi Gras Gumbo Cook-off a tremendous success. 

Special thanks to our sponsors: Riverwalk Casino, Lady Luck Casino, Trustmark National Bank, Capital City Beverage, the Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation, Waterview Casino, Gumbo Pot, McDonald’s, Sullivan’s, Super Junior, The Liquor Store, Vicksburg Specialty, Ameristar Casino, Slipin Slidin Water Slides, Waste Management, Martin’s at Midtown and Leigh Hyland (Servpro).

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 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. As always, thanks go to Legal Tender for providing great party music on the street.

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: Margaret Thames, Stacey Mahoney, Tammy Allen, Casey Combs and Janis Koestler.

We would also like to thank those who volunteered during the day of the event and the necessary clean up afterward: Ronnie Bounds, Denise Garner, Lenore Barkley, Minor Ferris, Lori Jones, Norma Massey, Kevin Mahoney, Isaac Holcombe, Tiffany Rogers, Kim Miller, Alainna O’Bannon, Jason Combs, Nicholas Allen, Jamie Berryman, Hope Sibley, Madison Combs, Peyton Combs, Sarah Lewis, Taylor Halloran and the hard-working group of young people from Americorps, especially Jared, who helped with admissions. 

We would also like to thank Warren Central High School volunteer Charlie Appleton, Sam Andrews, The Vicksburg Post, the Vicksburg Police Department, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and the Vicksburg Fire Department for their support. 

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 effort to identify, preserve, protect and interpret Vicksburg’s unique architectural heritage. 

We look forward to the 10th anniversary of the Gumbo Cookoff- Mardi Gras 2021.

 

Nancy H. Bell, Executive Director