Senior center celebrates Mardi Gras with Rotarians

MADISON – Purples and golds, even on cupcakes, brightened Madison Senior Center for its Mardi Gras Party.

Rotary Club of Madison sponsors the annual celebration. Rotarians decorated the center on March 5 with Mardi Posters posters, loads of colorful beads and jazzy centerpieces with gold and purple flares. They served cupcakes and a green punch as tasty as a Pat O’Brien’s brew from the French Quarter.

During the senior center party, Curtis McMorris was crowned Mardi Gras King. Dorothy Harris will reign as the 2019 Mardi Gras Queen.

The event’s official name is “Steve Croomes Memorial Mardi Gras Celebration.” “Steve Croomes was a club president for the Rotary Club and a big fan of Mardi Gras,” Rotary President Tim Stone said.

“Steve was a member of a ‘Krewe of Endymion’ for over 20 years and helped decorate the floats. He rode in the parade,” Stone said.

Croomes, an attorney in Athens, built a practice that helped many less fortunate people with complex legal affairs. While he was president of the Madison club, Croomes was diagnosed with a brain tumor. As a result, he stepped down from office.

“Shortly afterward, he passed and left a very generous donation to the club to use in community projects, like the Children’s Garden at Madison Public Library, which we are just wrapping up,” Stone said.

“We also wanted to let Steve live on through something more suited to his personal pizazz,” Stone said about the original decision for the senior center’s annual party.

Croomes is interred in New Orleans. One of his obituaries read, “The good Lord wanted to hear something funny, so he Steve Croomes home.”

“I would like to thank the Rotary Club for the Mardi Gras party at our center,” Director Vickie Parker said. “The club did an awesome job from the amazing decorations to the crowning of the King and Queen.”

“Our seniors always look forward to (this party) and enjoy themselves at this annual celebration,” Parker said.

Other Rotarians assisting with the party were Cynthia Curtis, President Elect Larry Smith, Marc Jacobson, Bill Holtzclaw, Dr. Shelia Nash-Stevenson, Eugene Phifer, Paula Cushman, Dennis Rouleau, Janice Schuzkman, Emory DeBord, Bill Drake, Peter Alvarez, Bailey Erickson and prospective member Heather George.