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Children's Charity Event
MARDI GRAS MADNESS
To benefit your local "Y," church temple or youth group!
What:
A great and easy way to raise money. Although Mardi Gras is traditionally
held at the end of February, this party works great any time of year. It's
easy to raise money for your favorite children's charity with this theme…
Check the local calendar to make sure you aren't competing with too many
other weekend events before you pick your date. Settle on a ticket price that
is affordable but allows your committee to make money for the charity. Add
great fundraising components to the ticket sales like a "Who Is Behind
that Mask" contest (see below). Identify hosts/hostesses that will put
tables of 10 together and then get started!
Whatever you can get donated, do!
How:
Invitation:
Send out
invitations
to your Mardi Gras Madness Masquerade party well in advance and make sure
that your guests know that they need to dress the part. Offer some
suggestions that fit the New Orleans theme such as a palm reader, a jazz
musician or a jester. However, no need to stop at what works…if someone
wants to come as a swamp creature, they should feel free! Prizes should be
given out for the most original costume. For an extra bit of fun, include a
mask
that guests can decorate and bring or wear to the event for a prize. The
masks can be collected and given to local hospitals at Halloween! Ask your
guests to at least enter wearing their masks, since you have something
special planned.
Don't forget to include ticket prices, payment arrangements, etc., on the
RSVP-you may want to ask a local event planner to help so nothing gets
missed.
Hint: Ask a local printer to donate the printing, and put his name
on the back of the invitation for exposure.
Decorations:
Decorate the room with signs that are unique to
the French Quarter such as Bourbon Street and Jackson Square. Above the bar
or drink station place a sign that says Pat O'Briens and serve up what New
Orleans is famous for-hurricane drinks in hurricane glasses!
Make sure you have plenty of Mardi Gras beads, cups, and doubloons on
hand to add to the decorative flair of the house and to give to your guests.
Its not a Mardi Gras party with out plenty of "throws."
Centerpieces are easy to design and inexpensive. Using your choice of
colorful feather masks, you can insert them into a potted green plant and
end up with a great effect. If you can find a florist to donate, give them
the masks and let them work their art. Another inexpensive centerpiece would
be to use Mardi Gras top hats or derbies. Have balloons coming out in
purple, green and yellow. Then set your tables to match the colors with
purple, yellow and green paper goods, beads for confetti, foil-wrapped
chocolate masks at each place and more.
Another idea is to use gift baskets that can be given to charity that go
with the theme or auction them off at the end of the evening. Check them out
in our Mardi
Gras store.
Menu:
New Orleans food is infamous throughout the world so let's get down to
the menu ideas…
- Seafood Stuffed Artichoke
- Marinated Crab Claws Crawfish pasta
- Boiled Shrimp Jambalaya Gumbo served over white rice
A few suggestions…but remember that the most important thing is to stay
within budget. Check out several caterers in town and ask them to provide
you with a menu for the evening. Tell them what you have to spend per person
"out the door." In other words, you need the price to include
everything (it's the extras you don't know about that could ruin your
budget). Ask for a tasting before you make your decision.
If you're planning to have committee members bring different entrées,
then make sure someone is in charge of making sure you have enough of
everything. For ideas, go to http://www.mardigrasstore.com/party411
and you'll find all sorts of food items and more.
Hint: Ask several different caterers to each donate a dish or
three to the Mardi Gras and tell them you will put their name and logo in
front for exposure.
Entertainment:
No Mardi Gras Party is complete without second line and Cajun band music
to get your guests into the carnival spirit. Make sure you don't forget to
play "The Mardi Gras Mambo." You can choose from a selection of
Mardi Gras and traditional New Orleans music here.
Fundraising Components:
"Who's Behind that Mask" Contest - As people enter, take
their picture. Have several areas set up. Mount each picture on a board
(that you have prepared prior to the event), where people can write in who
they think it is with their own name next to the entry. The person who
identifies the most people wins a prize and you can have several runners up.
Raffle - A raffle is always a good idea. Sell the tickets for a
minimum, but sell a lot of them!! You'll need some volunteers that aren't shy,
but, depending on the amount of people in the room, you may raise another
$500-$1000.
Photo Opportunity - Set up an area for people to deck themselves out
for Mardi Gras. Have a local prop company (or Party411.com
can do it for you) make a Mardi Gras King and Queen that people can put their
faces in for a great souvenir photo!
Cajun Camera Station - If the costumes and décor are great, if their
friends are dressed Mardi Gras and they are having so much fun they want to
remember this event, people will be so sorry they didn't bring a camera. Be
ready. A camera concession can get people to reach into their pockets.
Help with decorating:
Great favors to make great costumes for great pictures:
Glow:
Great for the dance floor (you can sell them for a profit!):
Great flavor favors:
For your tables:
The Party Girl
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