Fat Tuesday may have come and gone, but the Lexington Hotel was filled with the sounds and celebration of Mardi Gras Saturday.
The sisters of Mu Sigma Omega, the alumni chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, hosted their inaugural Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball.
"This is our first annual Mardi Gras ball," said Valerie Crawford, the president of Mu Sigma Omega. "It's a fundraiser for our scholarship program so it's just a way for us to give back to local high schools."
Tickets for the event were available for a $25 donation.
After the costs of the party are paid off, every dollar earned goes directly into the Mu Sigma Omega scholarship fund.
Johnnie Tinsley, the treasurer of Mu Sigma Omega, said Mu Sigma Omega will likely be able to give assistance to two individuals in the community as a result of the event.
"We want to give our scholarships to two deserving young ladies in the Auburn or Opelika areas,"
Tinsley said. "The scholarship is for women who will start college in the fall."
In the spirit of community service, members of Mu Sigma Omega from Auburn, Opelika, Tuskegee and Montgomery gathered to celebrate the spirit of Mardi Gras.
"Overall, it was very successful," Tinsley said. "Everyone had a good time and the hotel was filled with the spirit of New Orleans."
Music poured from the speakers inside ballroom filled with green, yellow and purple flags as members of Mu Sigma Omega and other organizations did their part to service their community.
"We invited members from other Greek organizations to come to support us and to render services to each other," Crawford said.
Crawford said Mu Sigma Omega is not a large organization and the members of other Greek organizations were invited to serve Mu Sigma Omega's ultimate goal of service to the community.
"Hopefully others see what we're doing as a positive and hopefully, after tonight, they will want to join our organization," Crawford said.
Tinsley said she thought the event convinced people to support the cause of Mu Sigma Omega.
"Most definitely everybody had a good time," Tinsley said. "There was great food and great fellowship."
Tinsley said the night consisted mainly of food and dancing, but Crawford made a brief announcement to remind everyone of the night's ultimate cause.
The announcement did not detract from the revelry of the guests, as it was followed by a performance of the Mardi Gras strut, a traditional New Orleans dance done with umbrellas.
Tinsley said, overall, the night was a success and she thinks the Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball will be something people look forward to every year.
"Mainly, we just want everyone to have fun, because service should be fun," Crawford said.
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