LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Mardi Gras came to Louisville a little late this year for the Louisville Urban League's annual Derby Gala held at the Norton Sports and Learning Center.
The Urban League provides the community with resources surrounding jobs, justice, education, health, housing, and Black business.
The sold out event brought some new faces, like Valerie Sickles with the Community Foundation of Louisville.
"The Louisville Urban League does great work in our community and we're just so excited to be able to support this event and support the Urban League throughout the year," she said.
As well as Ramona Dallum, also with the Community Foundation of Louisville.
“We are so excited to be able to support the work of the Louisville Urban League," she said. “The Louisville Urban League is helping people practice self-determination, to choose the lives that they want to live for themselves.”
Some people have been showing support for a while, like Gladys Barclay, who has attended every single gala.
“My sister and my niece came in from Atlanta," she said. “It doesn’t really matter who the entertainment is, just the fact that it supports the community.”
The sold out even brought the biggest crowd the gala has seen, for a fun-filled night for a good cause.
"Hopefully there's a lot of money being raised for them so we can continue to do the work that's needed In the west end and surrounding areas," said Butch Mosby, founder of Sponsor 4 Success.
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While Louisville Urban League President and CEO Lyndon Pryor doesn't have a specific goal to raise money wise, he said the need is still large in the community.
"We know that there are thousands of folks that need homes, we know that there are tens of thousands of kids who could use our services, so we want to hit those types of numbers. That's going to take millions of dollars to be able to do that," he said. “This is kind of the last major event before we hit the summer and gear up for the next year. It gives us the push and the momentum heading into what is, for us, the new year.”
And as Derby week continues, a little bit of Mardi Gras can be heard as the Louisville Urban League gears up for another year of celebration.
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