The Association of St. Augustine High School Alumni - DFW

2024 Mardi Gras Ball

About the Mardi Gras Ball

The Association of St. Augustine Alumni – DFW Chapter’s Annual Mardi Gras Ball is a premier fundraising gala and major social event focusing on raising awareness and support for our alma mater’s 70-year mission of educating and molding deserving young black men in the city of New Orleans to become leaders equipped to improve the world. This exclusive, “must-attend” event is designed to be one of DFW’s finest evenings of fun, good food, glitz and glamour that will have attendees feeling like they are in New Orleans enjoying the pageantry of Mardi Gras.

Based on New Orleans traditions, the BALL is known for its food and music including Carnival Indians, The Zulu Tramps, and a Brass Band. This year, we are honored to have Bivian "Sonny" Lee III, The Founder and The Chief Executive Officer of Son of a Saint. Sonny has dedicated his life to transforming the lives of fatherless boys. Since the organization's inception in early 2011, Sonny has grown Son of a Saint to now serve 200 mentees with an operating budget of more than $4 million.

Event Details

The annual Mardi Gras Ball is the DFW Chapter’s largest and most significant event each year. The event targets local DFW professionals, corporations, small businesses and other community-based organizations. For five (5) hours attendees will experience the flare of New Orleans hospitality, music, food and fun. When complete, everyone will have learned a little bit about the cause of helping St. Aug to continue its mission and how their support improves the lives of students and their families.

When: February 3rd, 2024 - 6:00 PM – 11 PM

Where: Hurst Conference Center– 1601 Campus Dr, Hurst, TX 76054

The Event Venue

Hurst Conference Center

1601 Campus Dr, Hurst, TX 76054

Click to Purchase Ball Tickets Today!

Soulful Soundz Band

Unfaded Brass Band

Your Entertainment

George Mccullum

Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club Tramps

D.J. Professor Breez

Why Sponsor?

Sponsors of this event will gain access to a ground floor opportunity to market their brand, products or services to professionals from across the DFW area and from cities across the US. We have chosen to cap attendance to year’s event at 500 in order to ensure that we produce the right experience. Due to attendance demand, we fully expect to expand our event to 1200 guest over the next couple of years. Professionals who attend this event will come from all walks of life and are consumers of all types of goods and services. We encourage you to take a look at this unique opportunity to support our ‘party with a cause’ and grow with us over the coming years.

Photo of Grammy Award Winning Artiste Jon Batiste Class of 2004. Musician for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

The entire 2022 Graduating Class achieved a 100% college

acceptance and received $9.2 million in tuition scholarships.

Black and white photograph of

St. Augustine High School

basketball team located in

the National Museum

of African American History and

Culture, Washington, D.C.

501c3 Information sent upon request

2024 Mardi Gras Ball - Sponsorship Packages

2024 Mardi Gras Ball - Ad Specifications
Ad Sizes Available - Width x Height in Inches

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501c3 Information sent upon request

Our 2024 Grand Marshal

Bivian "Sonny" Lee III
Class of 1999

As Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Son of a
Saint, Bivian "Sonny" Lee III has dedicated his life
to transforming the lives of fatherless boys. Since
the organization's inception in early 2011, Sonny
has grown Son of a Saint to now serve 200
mentees with an operating budget of more than $4
million.

Prior to founding the organization, Sonny served
as chief aide to Tom Benson, owner of the New
Orleans Saints and the New Orleans Pelicans. He
also previously served as the Director of Operations
for the New Orleans Zephyrs AAA Baseball Team
and Director of Programs for the New Orleans Jazz
Institute.

Sonny graduated with honors from St. Augustine High School and later earned a degree in
Marketing and Management from the University of New Orleans. In 2022, he earned his
Executive Master of Nonprofit Administration (EMNA) from the University of Notre Dame. A
TEDx speaker on community service, decision-making and the importance of education, Sonny's nonprofit work has been highlighted on CNN, Al Jazeera America, NPR
along with local television stations and newspapers. His work on behalf of his community and the Son
of a Saint organization has garnered him numerous awards, including:

● 2023 Tulane University Outstanding Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award
● 2023 New Orleans Kingfish Honoree, New Orleans Magazine
● 2022 Worthy 100 List Honoree, Worth Magazine
● 2021 Association for Behavioral & Cognitive Therapies "Distinguished Friend to Behavior Therapy Award”
● 2020 Urban Heroes Award, The Urban Conservancy
● 2019 “A-List” Honoree, Adore Magazine
● 2018 Homer Hitt Alumnus of the Year, University of New Orleans
● 2017 Southerners of the Year, Southern Living
● 2017 Role Model Award, Young Leadership Council (YLC)
● 2017 Children's Hero Award, Children's Bureau of New Orleans
● 2016 New Orleanian of the Year, Gambit Weekly
● 2015 Angel Award, Blue Cross Foundation
● 2015 Ten Outstanding Young Americans, United States Junior Chamber
● 2014 People to Watch, New Orleans Magazine
● 2013 FBI Director's Community Leadership Award
● 2013 Champion of Change Award, Crescent City Chapter of Links, Inc.
● 2013 Millennial Change Maker Award, Spears Consulting
● 2011 40 Under 40, Gambit Weekly

Our 2024 King

Lawrence Epps, Jr. Class of 1974

Lawrence E. Epps, Jr. was born at Flint Goodridge Hospital in

New Orleans as the one and only son of Lawrence E. Epps, Sr.

(d. 1965) and Melba Woodfork Epps (d. 2018). The family lived

on Hope St. a few doors down from Thornhill Drugstore

(If you know you know) and less than a block from St. Augustine High School. Later the family moved to ‘Boscoville’ (officially known today as Voscoville) in the 7th Ward and Lawrence attended Epiphany elementary school prior to attending St. Aug where he graduated in 1974. Lawrence went on to graduate in 1978 from Xavier University of LA with a B.S. in Accounting.

After graduation, Lawrence joined IBM where he enjoyed a distinguished 30-year career spending over 15 years in line-management and executive roles and 15 years in executive consulting roles in the areas of leadership and organizational development, client satisfaction management and employee engagement.

Lawrence completed more than 600 hours of education over the course of his career at IBM including training provided by Harvard Business School, the Hay Group, and is certified as a Master Human Capital Strategist by the Human Capital Institute. He specializes in organizational effectiveness and accelerated change consulting using a variety of problem-solving frameworks that help executive teams tackle complex cross-organizational issues impeding the achievement of critical business goals.

Lawrence is currently the CEO and managing principal of LEE Diversified Consulting Group, LLC (LEEDCG.com), a firm dedicated to helping its clients find ways to accelerate business results through a more deliberate focus on leadership and organizational effectiveness. Lawrence has worked with leaders around the world in a wide range of industries and business sizes to improve and/or accelerate senior team & organizational performance.

Lawrence and his wife of 45 years, Rositta Zarders Epps, have three sets of sons and daughters-in-law: Lawrence E. Epps, III & Juanita Loera Epps; Michael E. Epps, Sr. & Adrienne Fields Epps and Adam E. Epps & Marcelli Felice Epps. The couple has been blessed with four grandchildren: Alexie Gabriela Epps, Michael Emile Epps, Jr., Carter Emile Epps and Marlee Rose Epps.

Lawrence is a charter member of the and current president of the Association of St Augustin Alumni – DFW Chapter having served as vice-president (2015-2021). He also chairs the annual Golf Tournament and serves on the MGB Committee. Lawrence is proud to follow in the footsteps of the Chapter’s previous MGB Kings: Vernon Mullen (’67), Glenn Johnson (’88), Reginald Alexander, Sr. (’81).