NEWS

Mardi Gras Report by Susanna Urzua

2010-02-26

The nearly full parking lot of the “Chophouse” was tinged with snow and ice, the air a chilly 28 degrees. The windows to the restaurant at Canyon Lake were coated with condensation and frost as one approached the entrance.

Upon entering the restaurant one was greeted by a blast of brilliant colors in the form of beads, mask, hats and various other trinkets. Green, gold and purple seemed to dominate the scene, with some stylish blast of red and silver to spice things up a bit. The entire place had an air of festive bliss and was done up in full Mardi Gras splendor from top to bottom with ornate mask, beads, hats, beads, inflatable figurines, streamers, oh and did I mention beads. Every table in the place sported one or several buckets of ice and chilled beers. The mood was right and spirits’ were high as people arrived to attend the

Autism Society of the Black Hills Annual Mardi Gras celebration.
The evening festivities February 20, 2010 started at 6:30 p.m. with most of the attendees mingling about and a few fashionably late stragglers wandering in. For those who did not show up in flashy attire or felt the need to spruce up their look, a table was set up just inside the entrance peddling all manner of Mardi Gras survival gear ranging from face mask, tiaras, derby and jester hats, feathers and beads. For the confident gentleman they even offered the coveted “Big Ball” beads. All proceeds from the sales went to the ASBH.

The spirit of celebration and generosity remained high through the evening as attendees maneuvered around the silent auction table at regular intervals trying to coyly snipe their competition for one of the 10 baskets generously donated by local businesses. Another highlight of the evening was the 50/50 raffle, with half of the proceeds going to the winner of a random drawing, and half going to the ASBH.

A wonderful seafood medley was provided by the Chophouse for the main course consisting of clams, mussels, shrimp, sausage and potatoes prepared in a classic Frogmore Stew style, followed by a decadent chocolate dessert. The soundtrack for the evening was provided by local favorite “Fat City” as they belted out a broad spectrum of sounds ranging from contemporary and classic rock to funk and even swing.

Following the main course, the band took a break as ASBH Chair Toni Sabrowski and husband Joe Sabrowski were crowd the King and Queen of Mardi Gras 2010. A shout out was also given to Assurant Solutions, this year’s platinum sponsor for the event.

The bidding for the silent auction came to a close at 9:00 p.m. and the 50/50 drawing was held signifying the end of the formalities. Once that was out of the way, “Fat Tire” cut loose and several couples made their way out to the dance floor to show off their stuff.

“The event had a nice turn out and we were happy to see so many people participating in the auction and raffle” said Joe Sabrowski. “How well this event does will set the tone for what we are able to do to help out families throughout the year.” The Sabrowskis’ are the parents of a child with autism and co-founders of the ASBH which was started in 1997. They have been highly active within the group and dedicated to helping others since its inception.