Southeast Missouri's biggest Mardi Gras party hits Malden this Saturday

A Malden destination is the place to be on Saturday.

The Bootheel Youth Museum's 22nd Annual Mardi Gras fundraiser is bigger and better than ever this year, said museum Executive Director Patsy Reublin.

"It's grown from the first year when we had 110 guests to now, we've sold out and oversold," Reublin said. "We have over 650 tickets out there now.

"We have folks coming in from all over the area and beyond," she added. "From Sikeston, Poplar Bluff, Dexter, Risco, Malden of course, Campbell, Kennett, Clarkton and Bernie. So it's truly become a Southeast Missouri affair."

And what would Mardi Gras be without Cajun foods, tasty drinks, zydeco music, and dancing?

"Folks will find all that here at the museum on Saturday," said Program Coordinator Jacob Heck. "The DownTime Band from Saint Louis will be here.

"BRS Seafood is catering," he added. "The menu looks fantastic as always."

Reublin agreed and said the idea of a Mardi Gras celebration as a fundraiser was the brainchild of a faithful supporter.

"Liz Provance came to our very first fundraiser that we had back in 2001, I think," Reublin noted. "She wasn't on the board then.

"But she was hanging out with a whole bunch of board members and mentioned that she worked on a big fundraiser for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra," she continued. "And Pat Morehead was like, 'You know, we could use your experience.' And when she came on board, she had a few questions. Like what time of year should we do it? And it just turned out that we do this right ahead of Mardi Gras. She used to have a big, fun picnic at her house where she had cooks come up from Louisiana and it was a big hit. I think Mitch Green might have thrown out that idea, like 'Let's get these cooks to come up!' And it just blasted off from there."

Cooks from LaPlace, La., are on tap to throw down on shrimp recipes, catfish, etouffee or jambalaya, sides and "tons of desserts," the executive director said.

Reublin noted most past fundraisers included "a politician that would get up" and speak to the crowd.

"We decided this needed to be a party," Reublin said. "A prom for adults, basically.

"So let's just have a big ol' party," she added. "Do some dancing. We don't need to be doing some talking. And it took off from there."

The event's first auction included 10 items, and that has grown dramatically, Reublin commented.

"It's become our biggest fundraiser," Heck said. "And it's more fun than anyone can imagine.

"Our staff, Whitney Killebrew in particular, and tons of volunteers decorate for days preparing for Mardi Gras," he continued. "Ella Hankins will conduct science experiments on gravity and centrifugal force to demonstrate what we do for kids regularly. And Mirror Mirror Photo Booth will be here, too."

Reublin emphasized that Mardi Gras is volunteer-driven.

"The support that folks have shown the museum is just unbelievable," she said. "You wouldn't find it anywhere else on the planet.

"Liz (Morehead) and her merry crew of volunteers are just amazing," she continued. "She's had family come up for the last week helping her. This is a volunteer-led extravaganza. The Board goes out and sells tickets. I shouldn't even say that. People come and ask, 'When is Mardi Gras?' And they just open their billfolds to us and ask 'How can we help?' It's just fantastic."

This year's auction items up for bid include a Hummer electric bike donated by Blackwell Motors, a flight in a WWII P-51 Mustang, a gold Krugerrand, a Morgan Dollar, a $500 bill, and more, Heck noted.

Organizers hope to break records financially, and Reublin said the event has garnered $60,000 to $90,000 in the past.

This year's corporate sponsors are Floyd Ferrell, BPS, Ferrell Equipment, Dexmo Diagnostics, Family Matters Adult Dayhab, Fast Break, Bill Green and Friends, Mitch and Anna Green, Denton Kooyman, Malden Family Dentistry No. 1 and No. 2, Martin Rice No. 1 and No. 2, Missouri Delta Medical, Missouri Foundation for Health, The Morehead Family, Murphy Grain, Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center - Malden Clinic, Brent Provance, Buck and Liz Provance, Republic Services No. 1 and No. 2, Philip and Patsy Shelton, Sterling Bank and White Oak Gin.

Table sponsors are First State Community Bank, Aspire Senior Living, Bean and Bean Co., Bien Co. LLC., Blackwell Chevrolet, Malden Board of Public Works, Bradshaw Funeral Home, Buck's Outboard, Burnett Farms, Dalton, Mowrer and Chidister, Daren Todd, DT's Liquor, Carol Demaree, Demaree-Mitchell Family Dental, Dennis Demaree, Dunklin County Abstract, Ron Huber, Edward Jones, FCC Behavioral Health, First Flight, FM Bank of SEMO, Focus Bank, FRI Marketing, GLB Trucking, Helena Agri-Enterprise, Holloway Family, Landess Funeral Home, Langley, City of Malden, Malden Marble Works, Malden Pharmacy, Malden R-1 Schools, Mule Barn, Portageville Healthcare Center, Powell Supply, Promise Land Farm, Rick's Machine, RKE Contractors, Tango Charlie Aviation, TG Automotive, TG Express, Winchester Skilled Nursing& Assisted Living and Gideon Care Center.

The Four Tops are First State Community Bank, Burge Excavation, Kids R Us Daycare, La Estancia, Stars and Stripes Museum, John and Linda Matthews, Eathan Pipkin Auctioneer, Buck and Liz Provance, Ozark Financial, Portageville Healthcare Center and Voyage Healthcare of Malden.

The Bootheel Youth Museum is located at 700A N. Douglass St., Malden.

Doors at 6:30 p.m.

"And we'll stop when the last person quits dancing," Reublin said.