A group of Moore County students that helped victims of Hurricane Katrina is back to support a local cause.

"Kids for Catastrophes," composed of students from both Pinecrest High School and The O'Neal School, is getting back together to raise money for victims of house fires. The group is hosting "Mardi Gras for Moore" - an event that will include live entertainment, food, a cash bar and a silent auction.

It will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Pine Needles Lodge Reception Center. Tickets for adults are $50, while students pay $25.

"We want to try to help at least a few families in whatever ways that we can," said Katherine Kelly, an O'Neal senior and the group's president.

The event is modeled after the group's successful "Mardi Gras for Mississippi" that raised nearly $32,000 for Katrina victims. The money was used to buy 1,500 Walmart gift cards - one for every student in Bay St. Louis, Miss., the town Moore County adopted in the aftermath of the hurricane.

Members of the group flew down to Mississippi to personally deliver the cards, a trip that had a profound impact.

"The experience was one that I keep close and one that I will always remember," said Melody Miller, an O'Neal graduate who now attends the University of Alabama. "With everything that the students suffered through, it was the least we could do."

Carol Kelly, Katherine's mother and one of the group's advisers, said the earthquake in Haiti got the ball rolling. But the group decided to focus on something local this time around. After speaking with the Red Cross and the Sandhills Coalition for Human Care, they learned there weren't a lot of resources for house fire victims.

"We landed on fires because of the high numbers here in Moore County and have gotten pretty good response because of that," Katherine Kelly said.

The primary funding for the event will be sponsorships, which are available for $250. The group is hoping to attract 100 of them at the very least.

Katherine Kelly said she wants to keep the group's momentum going after the event. She said it would most likely pick a new local cause every year to concentrate on.

Information on the events and tickets can be found on the group's Web site, www.kidsfor catastrophes.com.

The group can be contacted via e-mail at kids4catastrophes@ gmail.com.

Tickets may be purchased by sending an e-mail to the group, or by visiting The Gentleman's Corner in Pinehurst or Hawkins and Harkness jewelry in Southern Pines.

Donations maybe sent to P.O. Box 1287, Pinehurst, NC, 28370.

Contact John Krahnert III at (910) 693-2473 or by e-mail at jkrahnert@thepilot.com.