"The Year of the Bay Ratz" is a very fitting theme for this year's Mardi Gras fundraiser dinner/dance and silent auction January 25.

- Story by Lisa Monti, photos by Lionel Haynes, Jr.

​“We’re super excited,” Guess said of the evening, which kicks off with a patron party at 6 pm for “Children's Defender” and “Children's Champion” sponsors.
Patrons can enjoy special Mai Tai Punch, complimentary champagne, wine, beer and hors d’oeuvres while mingling and previewing the silent auction items.

 
Doors open at 7 pm for the Mardi Gras Gala that features a dinner menu of smoked meats, jambalaya and pasta salad prepared by members of the Coastal Conservation Association. The gala is BYOB, but beer will be sold and CASA will provide all the mixers for guests.
 

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Music will be provided again this year by Got Groove, a dynamic New Orleans band that provides nonstop entertainment. Guess said dress for the gala runs the fashion gamut from cocktail attire to casual and she expects some will dress to match the Asian theme.
 
General admission tickets to the gala are $40 each for standing room only. To ensure you have a seat, CASA recommends reserving a table for eight starting at $600. Of the 50 tables in the venue only 15 are still available, so gather up some friends and reserve your table soon.

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You’ll be in good company, said Guess, who’s chaired the gala for five years.
 
Besides locals, she said, “We have people from New Orleans, Slidell and Alabama who come. It’s a great cause, a fun event and the silent auction is amazing.”

 
To purchase tickets for the January 25 event call CASA Hancock County at (228) 344-0419, or go to www.casahancockcounty.org.

The annual Relay for Life raises money for the American Cancer Society has hundreds of participants walking each year.  During this new event, they'll be dancing as well!
- story by Lisa Monti 

She has been busy recruiting amateur dancers to perform in Hancock County’s version of the hugely popular television dancing competition. As of this writing, Bernie has recruited 10 acts who will compete solo acts, dancing couples or groups. (Their identities are a closely held secret but Bernie promises “very eclectic” acts.)

Local judges will critique and score the acts and then award first, second and third place trophies.

“We’ll also have a People’s Choice Award for the crowd favorites,” Bernie said. An award also will be presented to the dancers who sell the most tickets to the event.
 
Bernie said the Dancing with the Relay Stars show is a perfect fit for fun-loving Hancock Countians at the perfect time of year, between the holidays and Mardi Gras.

​“Other Relays around the country have done this and it’s been really successful and a lot of fun. It’s a nice way for people to support Relay, enjoy a nice meal and silent auction. It’s going to be a fun night.”

And it’s a great way to kickoff the new year for the Relay for Life campaign to raise funds for the American Cancer Society.  “The money raised stays in Hancock County and goes for rides to medical appointments  and other resources that people need,” Bernie said.

​The 2019 Relay for Life will be May 4 at Hollywood Casino’s walking path. In case of inclement weather, the walk will move indoors at the casino.  
 
“Hollywood has been really good partner and so delightful to work with,” Bernie said. As part of its support for Relay for Life, the casino is offering a special $89 hotel room rate for the night of Dancing with the Relay Stars.
Reservations must be made by Jan. 17 using group code ACS0126.

Dancing with the Relay Stars tickets are $75 each or $700 for a table for 10. There is no entry fee for dancers but they are asked to bring a silent auction item and help sell tickets to their friends.
 
Tickets are available at paypal.me/berniecullenor via Venmo @Bernadette-Cullen-1. If you wish to buy tickets to support a dancer, send Bernie the information on PayPal or Venmo or email her at Tcbbcullen@yahoo.com.
To pay with cash or a check, contact Bernie by email.

Meet Art Clementin, Honorary Survivor for the 2018 Relay for Life event in Hancock County.  He's rolling up his sleeves to help out with the event, which raises money that will help others with cancer.  Find out how you can join Art on April 21st.
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- story by LB Kovac, photos by Ana Balka, Lionel Haynes, Jr. and courtesy Relay for Life

This year, Relay For Life has a new location in Hancock County - the Crab Fest grounds behind the Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church, 228 S. Beach Boulevard, Bay St. Louis. On Saturday, April 21st, action gears up at 11am and goes until 9pm.  

Members of participating community teams will take shifts walking or jogging in this fun "marathon" event that raises money for the American Cancer Society. Teams will also sell snacks, drinks and register folks for prizes.  

Click here to register for the event! Don't have a team?  Join one, they'll be delighted to have you! 

 Clementin underwent a new surgery and successfully eradicate his cancer. A year later, Clementin was declared cancer free.
 
According to the Mississippi State Department of Health, an average of 14,000 people in our state are newly diagnosed with cancer each year. Colorectal and breast cancers are the most common diagnoses, but prostate and mouth cancer diagnoses are on the rise.
 
The costs of cancer treatment, coupled with the increasing number of diagnoses, mean that cancer is also close to eclipsing heart disease as the number one killer in Mississippi. In 2016, 20% of deaths in the state were caused by cancer, according to the Health Department. 

But there is hope.

Clementin puts his faith in the research that is carried on by organizations such as the American Cancer Society. "I was assisted [in my own recovery] because of research done years ago," he says. "I'm a recipient of lots of people's research and hard work in the medical field."
 
Clementin's role as Honorary Survivor comes with quite a bit of responsibility. It's not wearing a sash and waving at crowds - Clementin must help bridge the gap between cancer survivors and the public, whose donations can greatly affect the outcomes of their diagnoses. 

Relay for Life is an annual fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Communities put on their own celebrations - relays, yes, but also games, dinners, and survivor celebrations. Money raised during the event, from sales and donations, funds cancer research and treatment. 
 
"That's why I want to encourage as many people as possible to attend," says Clementin. "We need to get the public involved and fight this horrible disease." With more donations, the research necessary to fight the spread of cancer can proceed.
 
Bernadette Cullen, along with her co-chair Nonnie Richardson, are the organizers of this year's Harrison and Hancock Counties Relay for Life. The event is slated to take place April 21 at the Our Lady of the Gulf Crabfest grounds.
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​Cullen, herself involved with the local Relay for Life event for more than a decade, promises fun at this year's event: games, kids’ craft, popular bands, and good food. "It's a party with a purpose," she says.
 
Cullen points out that Relay for Life is different from other cancer fundraisers because it doesn't just support one type of cancer. "All types - breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, leukemia - you name it, we support it. The money goes to help research for all types." 
 
She adds, "Most of the money stays locally. It goes to all kinds of things that your neighbors need, like medicine, doctor visits, rides, etc."
 
Without the focus on a particular cancer, Relay for Life attendees and organizers are free to focus on the survivors themselves. People like Clementin, who have successfully treated their cancer, as well as people who are still actively battling their cancers. 

​And Clementin, in turn, can support one of the organizations that made his own battle that much more speedy. He says, "Doctors are able to do a lot of things they weren't able to do even ten years ago. Whether it's a dollar or a hundred thousand dollars, donations are important to research and saving lives."

CASA's annual Mardi Gras Gala is one of the county's top social events of the year.  But the real reason more than 500 people come together on this festive evening is to change the lives of foster children.  Find out how. 
- story by Ellis Anderson 

Tickets are $40 per person, with eight-top tables available for businesses, family and parties of friends for $600.  

The New Orleans dance band, Got Groove, will be performing.  They were recently named a Best Wedding band on "The Knot" website, so folks are sure to keep moving at the gala.  Food is provided by  Hancock County Tax Assessor, and famed community cook, Jimmie Ladner and crew.  Smoked meats, pastas and desserts are Ladner’s specialties. Since it’s a “bring your own bottle” affair, mixers, cups and ice will be provided, while beer will be for sale.  

One highlight of the evening is the coronation of the 2018 King and Queen, always honorees who have served the community and CASA.  This year’s King is John Zimmerman and the Queen is Joy Richardson.  New this year – a special cup to honor the pair. 

The silent auction brings in a large share of the  evening’s proceeds, with donated items ranging from vacations to certificates for local services to jewelry. 

According to current CASA board president, Natalie Guess, the most talked about auction item is a piece of land – a lot in Pass Christian’s Timber Ridge subdivision.   

“There’s also a cabin trip to Tennessee, a duck-hunting trip and a certificate for a Sandals resort vacation getaway,” says Guess.  

Guess says that all of the funds raised by the gala go toward recruiting and training CASA volunteers, who work with individual children in the foster care system.  

​While the number of volunteers has risen from 50 a few years ago to 90 currently, there are more than 375 children in the Hancock County foster care program.  About half of those don’t have a CASA volunteer watching over their best interests. 

Guess explains that each of the children is appointed a state social worker when they go into the system.  But the state workers are enormously over-burdened and each must handle 20 to 30 cases.  

CASA is a national organization with a program that has been proven as a powerful tool to break the cycle of child abuse and neglect.  CASA volunteers are able to give individual attention to the children’s needs, far beyond what the state can offer.  

CASA volunteers are assigned a case – sometimes a single child, sometime a case involving siblings.  They spend about eight to ten hours a month on each case – meeting with the children, the foster parents, teachers, day care workers and biological parents – anyone who has contact with the children.  They also ensure that the children are having their basic needs met. 

“Sometimes, our volunteers are the only constants these children have in their lives,” says Guess.  “The other people in their lives just don’t follow through.”  

Volunteers write up reports, explaining what they believe will be ultimately best for the child.  Since the CASA volunteers (in most cases) have spent more time examining the situation than anyone else, in the vast majority of cases, judges go with the recommendations of the advocates.  

​Guess and her board would like every child to have an advocate because the CASA system works to place children in safe and permanent homes.  Most of those with advocates make it out of the foster care system for good.  

But that means at least an additional 90 trained volunteers are needed.  Potential volunteers first meet with CASA staffers for an in-house interview, to get an overview of the day-to-day workings of a volunteer.  CASA then sets up a full national background check.  Then volunteers spend three hours a night twice a week in training until the 33-hour program is completed.  Graduates are sworn in by a judge.  

Trained advocates can even pair up with a co-advocate to gain confidence or if they simply don’t have enough time to handle a case alone.  

“We have a CASA board member who knows first-hand what a difference an advocate can make,” says Guess.  “She had a CASA advocate growing up.  Now she’s a successful woman with a family of her own.”  

While children in the CASA program won’t be at the gala, of course, the centerpieces on each of the tables have been made with their help. 

“They hand-painted wooden masks that we’re using as the centerpieces,” Guess says.  “We’re having them framed and matted and will auction them off that night.  We only have 48, but it’ll be wonderful for donors to have something that these kids have created.”  

Michael Grimm headlines this food and music event to benefit the popular Starfish Café, on the grounds of the historic Bay St. Louis depot on October 5th. 
- story by Lisa Monti, photos by Ellis Anderson 

Starfish Cafe helps young adults learn cooking and restaurant service skills as well as receive life coaching and skills such as resume writing and financial literacy. Tips and donations help support the program, which has helped dozens since opening. 

​The live music starts at 5 p.m. and goes until 9:30 p.m. A DJ will be keeping the music flowing and delicious food prepared by Starfish Cafe, Fatsumo’s and Williams Pit BBQ will be sold throughout the event. 

Besides food and music, the festival will feature Vendor-Palooza, a collection of all sorts of merchandise for sale. Organizers were looking for something different for the event and came up with the idea to raffle off a real tree with branches loaded up with a variety of gift cards.

The event is free and open to the public, with limited VIP seating at the festival available for $30 per person (click here to purchase online).  These will get you close to the stage for live music by headliner Michael Grimm, Will Kimbrough and the Bay Ratz Marching Battery.
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In the meantime, an online vendor application is available on the event’s Facebook page, and anyone who wants to donate gift cards or other prizes for the tree giveaway can drop them off at the cafe at 211 Main Street.

Starfish Fest will be icing on the cake during Cruisin’ the Coast week. You don’t want to miss this good time to support a most worthy cause.

For more information and to purchase VIP tickets, go to www.starfishcafebsl.com. 
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One of the most glamorous nights in Hancock County - Moonlight On the Bay - provides more than a stellar evening of entertainment.  This benefit for the Hancock Medical Center Foundation helps save lives every year. 
- by Ellis Anderson 

​Last year, Empson contracted a rare case of vibrio bacterial infection.  The Baton Rouge resident went to the Hancock Medical emergency room, where his life was saved by an emergency amputation performed by Dr. Anthony.  

By the time Empson - two-time cancer survivor - arrived at the hospital, his chances for survival were extremely low.  He and his family credit the quick action of Anthony and the HMC staff for saving his life.  

One of the most popular parts of the event is the legendary silent auction.  Carlton says local businesses contribute items that range from an autographed Saints football to fine artwork, from jewelry to spa packages (click here for a donation form).

“We always have lots hotel stays and casino packages and restaurant certificates,” says Carlton.  “We always have so many items, thanks to the generosity of our local businesses and patrons.”

Money raised by past Moonlight On the Bay events has been used to help fund the lifesaving Telestroke Program, fetal monitoring systems, mobile ultrasounds, mammography assistance for the uninsured, the Joseph Lee M.D. operating room suite and much more (click here to read more).  

Carlson says dress for the event is black-tie optional with some attendees opting for tuxedos or formals and others dressing in business attire.

For more information or to reserve seating, call Carlton at (228) 467-8790.   

Videos featured at past Moonlight on the Bay galas

This series of events make it fun to give and to volunteer - but there's a very serious purpose behind the efforts:  helping cancer patients.
- story by Ana Balka

by Karen Fineran
- Habitat Bay-Waveland has built over 200 houses in the ten years since Katrina.  Find out how you can help them build Number 202!

Habitat for Humanity Bay-Waveland (HFHBW) stands out as one of the most effective and inspiring volunteer/non-profit organizations that have revitalized our county since Katrina.  Its mission is simple – to provide affordable and sustainable housing for as many low-income people who need it as possible. 

It is estimated that about 10,000 volunteers have worked with Habitat here since Hurricane Katrina, rebuilding lives and families, as well as homes.  “Katrina changed everything and challenged the very core of our community,” said Executive Director Wendy McDonald.  “As horrible as it was, that catastrophic event also served to bring about an incredible culture of hope, resilience and love in our community.”

To show the community’s appreciation and gratitude to all of the volunteers who came to help in our hour of greatest need, in June HFHBW is holding a 10th Anniversary Reunion Build in Bay St. Louis. 

The month-long build will use volunteers to build a new home in BSL’s Seal Pointe neighborhood, between Easterbrook and Union Streets.  This neighborhood is where the first Habitat homes were constructed in 2006, and to date it contains 54 single-family and duplex homes. 

Since 2009, all of HFHBW’s new homes have been built and certified to a green standard, as verified by nationally recognized third parties.  Since 2012, HFHBW also has been building its new homes to a “fortified” standard, designed to lessen the impact of damage caused by hurricanes or other natural disasters.

The home that will be built this June will become the 202nd home that HFHBW will have built in Hancock County since it began its work here in 2006.  Not only affordable to the lucky family who will live there, it will also be durable and sustainable, built to both green and fortified standards.

“This anniversary event is a time to celebrate the thousands who came to rebuild our community after the storm," said McDonald.  "They were total strangers to us before then, from places all over the United States and the world, who selflessly gave us their time, their energy, their money, their optimism, to help us rebuild."

Notwithstanding the sweat and enthusiasm of Habitat’s generous volunteers, it still takes money for building materials to build a home; in this case, about $75,000 will need to be raised.  Habitat is asking you, the residents of Hancock County, to donate to the Reunion Build, either individually or as part of your group or organization. 

 For more information about donating your time or money, please call the Habitat Bay-Waveland office at (228) 467-9699, email info@habitatbw.org, or check out the Anniversary Build's website page.   

If your business, company or church would like to be a sponsor, corporate sponsorships are available at various levels.  In addition, a new on-line peer-to-peer fundraiser website called GiveGab (givegab.com) also is available to facilitate your tax-deductible contribution to HFHBW’s fundraising goal.

by Melinda Boudreaux
- This month, meet the Bay Rollers, who are proving that if you're past forty, life doesn't have to pass you by - especially if you're on a bike! 

President of the Bay Rollers Cycling Club, Myron Labat, Sr., relates: “Some of the same guys who rode bikes together as childhood friends are now supporting each other as club members.”

At the advent of the club in the summer of 2014, some of the members noticed that their buddies were doing the same thing they were to stay active. Individually, they were riding their bikes. So, they decided to come together one Saturday and ride together instead. Once it became a regular occurrence, they decided to form an official club with elected officers.

The men boast an average of 20 miles in a typical group ride at about 15 miles per hour. That’s pretty impressive stamina for men of their seniority. Labat describes the club as a “group of friends who share a love for cycling and want to be physically active into their retirement years and beyond.”  Their goal is to improve their level of fitness and cycling techniques in an environment of camaraderie and mutual support. In between rides, they hold monthly meetings to discuss upcoming events and to share cycling information.
 
The Bay Roller’s don’t just ride their bikes for fun and fitness, however. They also come together to give back to their community. They’ve promoted cycling by donating over 30 bikes to elementary schools, raise community awareness about bike safety, and participate in other group rides from Slidell to Gulf Shores. The club actively participates in community beautification projects and supports local non-profit organizations. You can also see the Bay Rollers in local Mardi Gras parades.

All of these efforts are possible through the support of the Bay Rollers Cycling Club sponsors — Delta World Tire Company, Hancock Bank, and Elzy Concrete.

“We are especially grateful to our sponsors who have supported us since our initial meeting in July, 2014,” says Labat. “Their support has allowed us to be a presence in the Bay St. Louis community that we love.”

Cycling is known to be a source of low-impact exercising with little strain on your back and hips. At the same time, cycling can be a serious and strenuous sport. The Bay Rollers take advantage of the ease of riding, while also pushing each other to be better cyclists and healthier adults.

“Cycling affords us a means to get physical exercise, socialize, and promote the sport to others,” says Labat. Because cycling is fun and you can control how much energy you exert, it’s truly a past-time for anyone.

Take it from Myron Labat: “Cycling is one of the least expensive, most gratifying and most wholesome ways to see the best parts of your community, or even other communities, while reaping the benefits of non-jarring exercise."

"It can be enjoyed on many levels: solo (therapeutic), together with family and/or friends (social), or competitively (racing). To those searching for a fun way to exercise that's easy to stick with, we say, ‘Give cycling a try. Transform a childhood pastime into a lifelong passion that continues to reward.’”

"And don’t forget your helmet!"

Upcoming events for the Bay Rollers include participation in the Natchez Trace Century Ride in Ridgeland, MS on May 2nd and presence at the Gulf Coast Bicycle Club’s Vintage Bike Show and Swap Meet on May 3rd.

Labat offers, “Anyone who loves cycling, wants to improve their fitness level and wants to give back to their community is welcome to join the Bay Rollers.”

by Ellis Anderson
- This month - A Dream Playhouse is the chosen class project of Leadership Hancock County 2015, but it's hardly child's play.  Find out about the Leadership program and the 2015 class goal to raise awareness for CASA!

The class’s project culminates with a “Raising the Roof” party taking place on Saturday, May 9th at the Ground Zero Museum in Waveland (335 Coleman Avenue).  From 1pm to 3pm, there’ll be a “Raffle Pull” open to the public. 

Procrastinators will be able to purchase tickets at the last moment and the drawing will take place around 3:30pm.  The family-friendly event will also feature cook-out food (courtesy of Tri-R Bar & Grill), free tours of the museum and music – as well as fun and games for children.

The Raising the Roof Patrons’ Party for the event’s sponsors will begin immediately afterward at 3:30pm, lasting until 5pm.  In addition to the cook-out food, wine (donated by Rosetti’s Liquor Barrel) and beer (donated by Lazy Magnolia Brewery) will be served.

Raffle tickets are $5 each or five for $20 and can be purchased online here.   

The purpose of the project is two-fold: the class hopes to raise both awareness and money for the CASA program, as well as showcase the Waveland Ground Zero Museum. 

The Hancock Chamber began the leadership program in 1996 to “identify and prepare the community’s existing and future leadership resources.”  The group meets for an entire day each month for field trips and classes that develop an awareness of the community, develop networking skills and teach participants to make the most of their leadership abilities.

Since the program was introduced nearly two decades ago, thirteen classes have produced 320 graduates, many of whom have gone on to become “change agents for the good of Hancock County.”

For the past three years, Janell Nolan has served as the chair of the Chamber’s Steering Committee for Leadership Hancock County (LHC).  She calls the program a community effort, saying that it wouldn’t be possible without the support of volunteers, sponsors and local businesses.

Nolan says that each September the new leadership class kicks off with a leadership assessment and an alumni meet and greet.  That’s followed by a two-day retreat in October that focuses on team-building and leadership skills.  That session sets the foundation for the next six months where the classes take a close look at the six building blocks integral to economic and community development in Hancock County:  social infrastructure, workforce development, Stennis Space Center, economic development, civic infrastructure, and cultural heritage and preservation.  The program also tasks each class with a project.  LHC participants receive a certificate of graduation and celebrate their dedication and hard work in June, with a graduation ceremony and dinner.

Nolan’s a graduate of the 2006 leadership class and says she wouldn’t trade the experience “for anything.”

“The personal and professional relationships that are built in the leadership classes are invaluable.” 

Nolan has observed a few things about the program.  “Every year, it is truly inspiring to see how the LHC participants – whether collectively or individually, digest the nine-month experience and immediately begin working on fulfilling a need or taking on challenges to improve the quality of life in Hancock County.  The 2015 class came up with an innovative plan that would benefit both CASA and the Ground Zero Museum.”

“The LHC Class of 2015 has been working on this fantastic project,” says Nolan.  “It’s been nothing short of amazing to watch them pull it together. They’ve involved the school districts, the children, the faculty and staff of the Career and Technology center and built partnerships with many local businesses.” 

“In just a short period of time, they’ve already increased awareness of CASA’s mission exponentially.  It’s a win-win for everybody – especially our future - the children of Hancock County.”

For more information on the Raising the Roof event, click here.  

To read about CASA’s annual Mardi Gras Gala, click here for the January “Talk of the Town.”