{"id":223,"date":"2018-10-01T21:02:44","date_gmt":"2018-10-01T21:02:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/?p=223"},"modified":"2019-08-15T14:51:49","modified_gmt":"2019-08-15T14:51:49","slug":"68-star-filled-galas-light-the-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/2018\/giving-opportunities\/68-star-filled-galas-light-the-way\/","title":{"rendered":"68 Star-Filled Galas Light the Way"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote><p>How many\u00a0Catholic people\u00a0does it take to\u00a0screw in\u00a0a lightbulb?<br \/>\nA\u00a0BASILIAN FATHERS, of course!<br \/>\n-Samuel Jordan,\u00a04th grader at St. Anne Catholic School<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Samuel Jordan, a fourth grader at St. Anne Catholic School, drew chuckles from a ballroom-full of guests when he posed this question at UST\u2019s 68th annual Mardi Gras Scholarship Gala, held Feb. 10 at the Hilton Americas-Houston. The event, attended by more than 500 guests, paid tribute to the Basilian Fathers for their extraordinary 118-year legacy of education in Houston.<\/p>\n<p>The 2018 Gala, themed \u201cLight the Way,\u201d treated guests to an entertaining and inspiring program, which showcased the talents of students from UST, St. Thomas High School and St. Anne Catholic School, Houston\u2019s great trinity of Basilian teaching institutions. Guests enjoyed dinner, a live band and a live auction. The event garnered more than $800,000 in much-needed scholarship support for University of St. Thomas students.<\/p>\n<p>The Mardi Gras Gala (originally the Mardi Gras Ball) has a long and illustrious history at UST. It was launched in 1950 by Fr. Robert Miller, CSB. Early celebrations were large, community-wide events held at the Sam Houston Coliseum\u2014then, Houston\u2019s premier venue for events, concerts and performances. Festivities included parades, games, coronation of a queen, dancing and costume contests. Celebrity guests of the time often attended and served as Honorary Kings and Queens, including Bob Hope, Pat O\u2019Brien and Arlene Dahl.<\/p>\n<p>Mardi Gras at UST is a time honored tradition dating back to the beginning of our university.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style>\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 50%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div data-carousel-extra='{\"blog_id\":15,\"permalink\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.stthom.edu\\\/encounter\\\/2018\\\/giving-opportunities\\\/68-star-filled-galas-light-the-way\\\/\"}' id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-223 gallery-columns-2 gallery-size-large'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/2018\/giving-opportunities\/68-star-filled-galas-light-the-way\/attachment\/bob-hope\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"811\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/Bob-Hope-1024x811.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-226\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/Bob-Hope-1024x811.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/Bob-Hope-300x238.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/Bob-Hope-768x608.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" data-attachment-id=\"226\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/2018\/giving-opportunities\/68-star-filled-galas-light-the-way\/attachment\/bob-hope\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/Bob-Hope.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"5994,4746\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Bob Hope\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Mardi Gras 1952: Mary Olive Graham \u201953, Student Queen; Bob Hope, Hollywood King&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/Bob-Hope-300x238.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/Bob-Hope-1024x811.jpg\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-226'>\n\t\t\t\tMardi Gras 1952: Mary Olive Graham \u201953, Student Queen; Bob Hope, Hollywood King\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/2018\/giving-opportunities\/68-star-filled-galas-light-the-way\/attachment\/hollywood-stars\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"321\" height=\"341\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/Hollywood-Stars.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-227\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/Hollywood-Stars.jpg 321w, https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/Hollywood-Stars-282x300.jpg 282w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 321px) 100vw, 321px\" data-attachment-id=\"227\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/2018\/giving-opportunities\/68-star-filled-galas-light-the-way\/attachment\/hollywood-stars\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/Hollywood-Stars.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"321,341\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Rush, Jessica&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1523799772&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Hollywood Stars\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Mardi Gras 1952: Arlene Dahl, Hollywood Queen; Bob Hope, Hollywood King; Mary Olive Graham \u201953, Student Queen; Rev. Hugh Haffey, CSB, Director of the Mardi Gras Ball&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/Hollywood-Stars-282x300.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/Hollywood-Stars.jpg\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-227'>\n\t\t\t\tMardi Gras 1952: Arlene Dahl, Hollywood Queen; Bob Hope, Hollywood King; Mary Olive Graham \u201953, Student Queen; Rev. Hugh Haffey, CSB, Director of the Mardi Gras Ball\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/2018\/giving-opportunities\/68-star-filled-galas-light-the-way\/attachment\/img_2701\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"793\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/IMG_2701-793x1024.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-228\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/IMG_2701-793x1024.png 793w, https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/IMG_2701-232x300.png 232w, https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/IMG_2701-768x992.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/IMG_2701.png 832w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 793px) 100vw, 793px\" data-attachment-id=\"228\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/2018\/giving-opportunities\/68-star-filled-galas-light-the-way\/attachment\/img_2701\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/IMG_2701.png\" data-orig-size=\"832,1075\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_2701\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Mardi Gras 1957 Flyer&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/IMG_2701-232x300.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/IMG_2701-793x1024.png\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-228'>\n\t\t\t\tMardi Gras 1957 Flyer\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/2018\/giving-opportunities\/68-star-filled-galas-light-the-way\/attachment\/old-billboard-pic\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"811\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/Old-Billboard-Pic-1024x811.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-231\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/Old-Billboard-Pic-1024x811.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/Old-Billboard-Pic-300x238.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/Old-Billboard-Pic-768x608.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/Old-Billboard-Pic.jpg 1100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" data-attachment-id=\"231\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/2018\/giving-opportunities\/68-star-filled-galas-light-the-way\/attachment\/old-billboard-pic\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/Old-Billboard-Pic.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1100,871\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Old Billboard Pic\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Mardi Gras 1953: Billboard advertising the Mardi Gras&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/Old-Billboard-Pic-300x238.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/Old-Billboard-Pic-1024x811.jpg\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-231'>\n\t\t\t\tMardi Gras 1953: Billboard advertising the Mardi Gras\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/2018\/giving-opportunities\/68-star-filled-galas-light-the-way\/attachment\/mardigrascourt\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/MardiGrasCourt-1024x682.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-229\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/MardiGrasCourt-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/MardiGrasCourt-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/MardiGrasCourt-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/MardiGrasCourt.jpg 1100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" data-attachment-id=\"229\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/2018\/giving-opportunities\/68-star-filled-galas-light-the-way\/attachment\/mardigrascourt\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/MardiGrasCourt.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1100,733\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5.6&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;DANIEL ORTIZ&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;NIKON D5&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1518289526&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;DANIELORTIZPHOTOGRAPHY&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;24&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;8000&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.005&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"MardiGrasCourt\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;UST Student Mardi Gras Court pictured (l-r): Aaron Ruff, Jacob Dilworth, Mary Alice Waddel, Tam Tran, Kimberly Sanford, Christian Sacra, Ana Hernandez, Brendie Kennedy, Leslie Olivares, Greg Piroli and Mason Karnes&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/MardiGrasCourt-300x200.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/MardiGrasCourt-1024x682.jpg\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-229'>\n\t\t\t\tUST Student Mardi Gras Court pictured (l-r): Aaron Ruff, Jacob Dilworth, Mary Alice Waddel, Tam Tran, Kimberly Sanford, Christian Sacra, Ana Hernandez, Brendie Kennedy, Leslie Olivares, Greg Piroli and Mason Karnes\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/2018\/giving-opportunities\/68-star-filled-galas-light-the-way\/attachment\/mardigrassinging\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/MardiGrasSinging-1024x682.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-230\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/MardiGrasSinging-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/MardiGrasSinging-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/MardiGrasSinging-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/MardiGrasSinging.jpg 1100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" data-attachment-id=\"230\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/2018\/giving-opportunities\/68-star-filled-galas-light-the-way\/attachment\/mardigrassinging\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/MardiGrasSinging.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1100,733\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5.6&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;DANIEL_ORTIZ&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;NIKON D500&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1518300608&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;DANIELORTIZPHOTOGRAPHY&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;85&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;4000&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.005&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"MardiGrasSinging\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Kechi Okwuchi \u201915 with St. Anne Catholic Church Choir&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/MardiGrasSinging-300x200.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2018\/10\/MardiGrasSinging-1024x682.jpg\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-230'>\n\t\t\t\tKechi Okwuchi \u201915 with St. Anne Catholic Church Choir\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p><strong>1947 <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A Mardi Gras Dance was held in the Link-Lee Ballroom (3rd floor of Link-Lee)<\/li>\n<li>Charles Fischer \u201952 was Mardi Gras King (Husband of Betty Fischer \u201952).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>1950\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The first Mardi Gras Extravaganza was held at the Sam Houston Coliseum.<\/li>\n<li>15,000 attendees<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>1952 <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>During his presidency, Fr. Vincent Guinan\u2019s connections to Hollywood provided an added benefit to the UST Mardi Gras celebration:\n<ul>\n<li>A UST student was crowned Queen, but Hollywood star Pat O\u2019Brien was King.<\/li>\n<li>Honorary Queen was actress Ann Blyth.<\/li>\n<li>Bob Hope was Hollywood King.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Additions such as these brought the name of UST into prominence. Newspaper articles and community leaders assisted in promoting the event.<\/li>\n<li>Mardi Gras was a student-driven celebration.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Mardi Gras Gala is the University\u2019s largest fundraising event, with all proceeds benefiting student scholarships through The St. Thomas Fund. Planning for the next Gala, scheduled for Saturday, March 2, 2019, is already underway. For information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact:<\/p>\n<p>Office of Institutional Advancement<br \/>\n713-525-3100<br \/>\nadvancement@stthom.edu<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Samuel Jordan, a fourth grader at St. Anne Catholic School, drew chuckles from a ballroom-full of guests when he posed this question at UST\u2019s 68th annual Mardi Gras Scholarship Gala, held Feb. 10 at the Hilton Americas-Houston. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":224,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[13,45,16,11],"class_list":["post-223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-giving-opportunities","tag-13","tag-mardi-gras","tag-summer-2018-issue","tag-summer-issue"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.3 - 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