The Petal Education Foundation is gearing up for its 15th annual “Laughter and Lagniappe” Crawfish Boil, an event that gives Petal-area residents the opportunity to enjoy Cajun food and fun while benefiting the Friendly City’s teachers and students.
This year’s event will be held at 6 p.m. April 13 at Petal High School, “under the lights” near the school’s storm shelter and JROTC building. Participants can enjoy all-you-can-eat crawfish with corn on the cob, red potatoes, salad and white chocolate bread pudding.
Chicken strips will be available for those who desire an alternative to crawfish.
All proceeds from the event will benefit the Petal Education Foundation, primarily in the form of student scholarships and teacher mini-grants.
“This is our largest fundraiser that we have every year, and this event is solely for our operations account,” said Leahne Lightsey, executive director of the foundation. “We’ve got to have somebody in the driver’s seat to seek out all the scholarships and look for grants, and help with funding Excel By 5, and fine arts and athletics.
“So it’s a very, very important event.”
The event will feature a live and silent auction, courtesy of the staff of Jeff Martin Auctioneers. Online bidding is now available at https://bit.ly/43nXAju and features lots such as a half-day hunt at Longleaf Plantation; a two-night getaway in Orange Beach, Alabama; a yellow gold/sterling silver bracelet from Carter’s Jewelry; a $1,000 shopping spree from Parris Jewelers; and a diamond/platinum ring.
Other items include sports memorabilia, crafts, a pair of Kimberly ferns, paintings and cookbooks.
“We have fabulous gifts – fabulous,” Lightsey said. “I am blessed to have the Cosmopolitan Club women who help support this event; they’ll be there volunteering their time. Also, it gives our (Petal High School) Ambassadors an opportunity to show their skills, and they will be there assisting in any way possible.
“(They’ll handle) anything from showing the auction prizes to dumping the crawfish hull. It’s a great group of kids, and I’m excited that now they’re back to working in events that showcase them a little bit. They’re so smart, and they’re just exceptional students.”
Laughter and Lagniappe will be streamed on Facebook Live, which will allow individuals who cannot be there in person to bid on the items.
Tickets are $30 per person and can be at the school district’s temporary central office at Petal-Harvey Baptist Church on South Main Street, or online at https://bit.ly/41iS8g0. Two sponsorships are available for the event: a “Grand Crawdaddy table sponsorship and a “Crawdad” sponsorship.
In the event of inclement weather, the boil will be held in the high school’s storm shelter. As it is expected to be somewhat chilly that night, Lightsey advises attendees to bring a light jacket or blanket.
“There is a threat of rain, and I so hoping that’s going to move on through and we can still do it under the lights – I think it’d be beautiful,” Lightsey said. “I’ll have signs everywhere.
“This thing is going to happen (one way or the other).”
The Petal School District Education Foundation was founded in 1987 and is dedicated to using private funding to enhance the quality of education the school district. For more information, contact Lightsey by phone at (601) 545-3002 or email leahne.lightsey@petalschools.com.
“We’re mainly trying to enhance the level of education here in Petal, which is already fabulous,” said Valerie Wilson, who serves on the board of directors for the education foundation. “We’re encouraging, through our mini-grants, some innovative programs in the classrooms.
“We’re providing assistance to early childhood family support, and Petal education also helps with Petal Excel By 5. We’re also supporting fine arts and athletic programs throughout the community, and providing scholarships to the Petal graduates.”
