BY MARY ELLE HUNTER

Special to The Pilot

On Saturday, March 5, during the weekend before the beginning of Lent, Sandhills residents have the chance to get into the swing of Mardi Gras - without having to travel to New Orleans.

The traditional gaiety that sweeps the streets of the city known as the Big Easy will be reproduced by Southern Pines' Pope John Paul II Catholic School at its third annual fundraiser.

The Mardi Gras Gala, being held at the Country Club of North Carolina from 6 to 10 p.m., includes hors d'oeuvres, a lavish buffet, a silent and live auction, raffles and entertainment at the gaming tables - blackjack, craps, roulette and poker.

Last year's local Mardi Gras raised approximately $73,000 for Pope John Paul II Catholic School. A three-pronged approach is used to divide the proceeds: augmenting the scholarship fund, assisting with operational costs and providing for upgrades in current technology.

Dr. Rick Kruska, principal of Pope John Paul II Catholic School, explains.

"We are committed to a wireless environment as we prepare our students for 21st century challenges," he says. "Last year we equipped the new eighth-grade class with computers, but there is always a need for more computers, and we want to keep abreast of new technologies. We are looking at instituting a new math program right now, and we are also adding to the materials used for our science programs."

About 32 percent of the students at Pope John Paul II School receive some sort of reduction in tuition, and one of the main goals of the administration is to make tuition affordable.

"We try to raise as much as we can to help the families out," Kruska says. "With the move to a new campus this year, and the increase in the number of students attending the school, the scholarship needs have likewise grown."

When Kruska became the principal in 2008, there were just 78 students. That number has more than doubled to the present 165 students. Already 188 students are enrolled for the next school year, so the school will probably be close to its desired capacity of 200 for the 2011-2012 academic year. At present there are waiting lists in all but three classes - fourth, fifth and eighth grades.

A larger student body means an increase in operating costs.

"A fundraiser such as the Mardi Gras helps subsidize the cost of educating a child," Kruska says.

When he was appointed principal, he suggested rather than holding several small events throughout the year, to concentrate on one major event, which has proven to be a success.

This year's Mardi Gras Gala is co-chaired by Angel Gulley and Clare Reinhardt. They have introduced a new idea to assist the teachers. It's called a "Giving Tree," fashioned after the angel trees that are seen in area stores during the holiday season.

In this case, the tree's decorations, created by the school's art club in the shape of Mardi Gras masks, describe items teachers would like to have for their classrooms - anything from dry erase markers up to an extra computer. People can pick out a mask and then donate the cost of the item to the school.

Another innovation for the current Mardi Gras is the ability to bid online on some of the items being offered for auction. This feature is attractive to grandparents, other family members and friends who live outside the area and cannot attend the fundraiser in person.

A tuition raffle and a $10,000 cash raffle also appeal to non-Sandhills residents. The tuition raffle tickets at $10 each provide the winner with the gift of one year's full tuition at the school, and only 200 tickets are being sold for the cash raffle with -tickets priced at $100 each

Motivating the crowd for the live auction is well-known South Carolina auctioneer Matt Holiday, who won't have any trouble raising bids on an assortment of trips to Myrtle Beach, Washington, D. C., Virginia Beach, Palm Desert, Calif., and one Choose Your Vacation sojourn to an exotic locale. Also on the list are a wine dinner for 10 at Elliott's on Linden, a trip to the Spa at Carolina Skin Care followed by dinner at Coach Light Trattoria. And of course the bidding will be brisk for a designated parking space at the head of the pick-up line at PJPII School.

The silent auction tables will display an impressive array of choices, among them golf packages at area clubs, golf gear and an Improve Your Swing session. Framed artwork and projects decorated by students, advertising in PineStraw magazine for two months, Carolina Hurricanes tickets, a Pentax camera with accessories, income tax preparation and fine and costume jewelry are just a few of the other selections that can be found in the total of 114 separate packages and items with an estimated value of $44,000.

A professional casino company that furnishes all the equipment and dealers will once again run the gaming tables. Party-goers can buy chips for playing at the tables, just as in a Las Vegas or Atlantic City setting, the only difference being that when cashing out, the chips are exchanged for raffle tickets.

Major sponsors for the 2011 Mardi Gras Gala are Pinehurst Medical Clinic; St. Joseph of the Pines; Aberdeen Exterminating; Belli Bambini; Freeman, Barrett & Johnson; Sandhills Emergency Physicians; Dr. Laura Wellener, DDS; FirstCarolinaCare; Med Center Display; Sandhills Pediatrics; Southern Pines Chiropractic; and Tramar Contracting. Twelve other groups and individuals supported the event as Friends of Pope John Paul II Catholic School.

Tickets are $75 per person, and may be obtained at >Elliott's on Linden in Pinehurst or in Southern Pines at Belli Bambini, Pope John Paul II Catholic School and St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church's office. Tickets may also be purchased online at the school's website www.jp2catholicschool.org.

So, as the headline on the school's website proclaims, "Laissez les bons temps roulez," or "Let the Good Times Roll."

Contact Pinehurst freelance writer Mary Elle Hunter at mhunter104@yahoo.com.