Tenth annual Mardi Gras for a Cause returns to support Backpack Snack Attack

WARWICK - On the 10th Anniversary of Mardi Gras for a Cause, the fundraising “Fat Tuesday” Celebration can now report raising $103, 664 since its inception for Backpack Snack Attack.

As an outreach program of the Warwick Reformed Church, Backpack Snack Attack provides food on weekends to nearly 300 needy children within the Florida, Greenwood Lake and Warwick Public School Districts.

In the past the traditional Mardi Gras fundraiser was an evening of live music and fun for all ages, celebrated at numerous restaurants in the Village of Warwick and modeled after the tradition of New Orleans.

But for the past two years, the pandemic has prevented the usual celebration.

“As they say,” said Mardi Gras impresario and Backpack Snack Attack volunteer John Desibia, “when one door closes another opens. For the second consecutive year Mardi Gras for a Cause’s traditional celebration was cancelled due to COVID-19’s very contagious Omicron variant. At the time the event’s planning committee made the decision, Omicron was peaking and the Mardi Gras leadership knew that cancelling was the right thing to do.”

He explained, however, that over the last couple of weeks, cases have been down dramatically and local restrictions lifted.

That’s when Marc Lombardo, an owner and manager of Barrel 28, a popular restaurant in the Village of Florida, reached out to Desibia and offered to host a Fat Tuesday Celebration at his venue. That was all Desibia, Backpack Snack Attack Executive Director Jen Price, and the organization’s core volunteers needed to rally. And, as usual, crowds of local citizens came out for an evening of bangles, beads, Cajun cuisine, New Orleans libations and live music.

The one evening and single venue event raised almost $1600,

Barrel 28 Manager Lombardo presented Backpack Snack Attack with a Host Sponsorship contribution and a dinner certificate for the evening’s raffle.

Bill Iurato of Peck’s Wine and Spirits and Mark Chisholm of Wine Time both contributed baskets of cheer for the evening raffle. And many of the famous Golden Raffle tickets, featuring valuable orizes, were also sold to guests that packed the house.

All musicians played pro bono. Backpack Snack Attack volunteers included Monica Dorfman, Maria Costa, Kerri Fenton Foley, Anh Sobo and Pat Valentine.

To assist with the fundraising efforts for Backpack Snack Attack, the Golden Raffle Tickets will be available for sale through March and the lucky winners will be announced on April 1 via Facebook Live.

To purchase a ticket go to PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/backpacksnackattack or Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/backpacksnackattack and be sure to include a note, “Golden Raffle Tickets”,,