| Mardi
Gras event a success
The St. Mary’s Hospital Mardi Gras event which was held on March 23rd was deemed a success. “I have to admit I was a little worried, our ticket sales were a little slow at first; but the week prior to the event we ended up selling out, which was fantastic” commented Development Coordinator, Cheri Holthaus. “So next year people will need to make sure to purchase their tickets early so they can get them.” “The proceeds from this event will go towards the remodeling of our emergency room; it may take several years to earn enough money to begin let alone complete this project,” commented Holthaus. “But thanks to the generosity of all those who purchased tickets, donated cash or items for our auction and purchased auction items we are on the right track. We won’t know how much money we raised until all our expenditures are calculated, but we already know it was a financial success.” The dinner which was catered by Stephanie Duclos from “A Taste of Art” consisted of Caesar Salad, barbecued beef ball tip, roasted tri-colored potatoes, green bean, and chocolate covered strawberries with brownies. “The meal was fantastic and it was so nice that they served nice sized portions,” commented several of the guests. The hall was decorated in traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold with a New Orleans background. The tables had purple table cloth, cut glass goblets, and gold satin chair covers. “I have never seen the hall look so elegant, it was amazing,” commented Sheri Daly, one of the guests. The Idaho County Orchestra provided music during the social hour and dinner. The Idaho County Royalty greeted guests as they arrived; hung up their coats and presented them with Mardi Gras beads. And the Gonzaga game was being played at the bar for the sports fans in the group. There was also a silent and live auction; auctioneer Dennis Rowland kept the crowd engaged while he auctioned off a cedar chest, wine tree, 4-wheel tires, raft trip and much more. The silent auction included everything from lottery tickets to beauty products to homemade rolls. The evening continued with dancing and casino games. “I want to give special thanks to all our donors especially our major donors who donated $1000 towards this event; Essentia Health, Lewis & Clark Orthopaedic, St. Joseph Regional Medical Center and Life Flight,” commented Holthaus. “We are so lucky to have their support.” Committee members included Shelli Schumacher, Misty Johnson, Brenda Kaschmitter, Collette Schaeffer, Debbie Schumacher, and Ashlee Behler. “All these members worked so hard to make this event a success, they helped get auction items, set up the entertainment, and they spent many hours decorating and cleaning up,” Holthaus commented. “I am not sure I will ever be able to thank them enough for everything they did.” Plans are already underway for next year’s event. “Even though this year’s Mardi Gras was a huge success we know there is always room for improvement and we want to make the 2014 event even better,” said Brenda Kaschmitter, one of the committee members. 
The Idaho Country Orchestra playing for the social hour 
The hall just prior to the guests arriving. Photos by Cheri Holthaus. |
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