University of California Los Angeles - Bruin Life / Southern Campus Yearbook (Los Angeles, CA)

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Mardi Gras ¥. ' ' , ' m t Vgfil TV ' - - 28 Mardl Gras

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: ' i » ult lU, Spring Calendar 27

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I ides and laughter, kids and clowns, music and games . . . who could resist? UCLA Mardi Gras at- tracted over a million fun- seekers last year. Mardi Gras means fun houses and haunted houses, carnival rides, and food galore! All this is punctuated by a special fireworks show. Last year was a record year for UCLA Mardi Gras in scrip sales and profits. All proceeds go to sending underprivilaged kids from the Los Angeles area to Unicamp, a summer camp in the San Bernadino Mountains. Unicamp has been the official charity of Mardi Gras since the I940 ' s. Each year it sends about 800 kids to the camp. This year the Big Event hit the UCLA campus from May 1 5th to the 17th. Students showed their strong support and enthusiasm by building and running the food booths, many of the games, and other attractions such as haunted houses, while other students added to the fun by dressing up as clowns to please the kids. As Mardi Gras grows near students appear wearing buttons and t-shirts, banners decorate Bruin Walk, and pos- ters can be found anywhere. Planning and preparation for the event begins long ahead of time. UCLA Mardi Gras is the largest completly student run event of its kind in the nation. The organization and work in- volved are great, but everyone becomes a part and gets ex- cited and it ends up being a lot of fun for everyone involved. The Mardi Gras Committee reaches out for celebrities who participate in the opening cer- emonies and booth judging. The Committee must contract with travelling carnival com- panies and they must coor- dinate all the organizations whose participation makes Mardi Gras a success. Despite the work involved, everyone agrees that it ' s all a lot of fun. Students populate- the crowds year after year, and many claim that they just wouldn ' t miss it! • Mardi Gras 29