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<p>SCRANTON &#8212; You can bet your sweet jambalaya there will be plenty of beads at the Party Gras.</p><p>Oh, yes, organizer Mary Carroll Donahoe agreed with a laugh. &#8220;We will weigh down some necks with necklaces.&#8221;</p><p>Fortune tellers will add an air of mystery, musicians from The Indigo Moon Brass Band will play New Orleans-style music and, thanks to Donahoe&#8217;s willingness to personally undertake a project likely to cover her in glitter, huge &#8212; positively huge &#8212; masks will serve as centerpieces.</p><p>Party Gras, planned for 6 to 10:30 p.m. Feb. 5 at the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel, is a benefit for the United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania.</p><p>While guests are raising money for the Angel&#8217;s Attic food and clothing bank along with the agency&#8217;s other crisis intervention services, they can indulge in a sampling of the pre-Lenten Mardi Gras revelry they might find in New Orleans, Louisiana.</p><p>&#8220;The reception will be in the lobby of the Radisson because it feels like Bourbon Street around the fountain,&#8221; Donahoe said. &#8220;Then the trumpets will blow and everyone will parade into the ballroom.&#8221;</p><p>Menu selections will include some bayou flavor, with Cajun fried chicken, chicken fried steak, blackened catfish, jambalaya and, for dessert, banana chocolate bread pudding with Kentucky bourbon glaze among the offerings.</p><p>The evening also will include mock gambling with games such as blackjack, roulette and craps, and an after-dinner magic show by Scranton magician John Graham. &#8220;Last year he blew the guests away,&#8221; Donahoe said.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s not something you&#8217;d see everyday,&#8221; Graham said in a telephone interview, explaining that this year&#8217;s show will be different from last year&#8217;s and will involve a surprise ending.</p><p>&#8220;Last year I did more of a mentalist show, reading minds, reading people,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This year will be more of a magic show with cards and rope and walking among the crowd and maybe borrowing a dollar bill from somebody so I can do something with it. I like to involve the audience.&#8221;</p><p>As for the beneficiary of the fundraiser, the United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania are dedicated to helping people in crisis and emergency situations. &#8220;We help them so the problem isn&#8217;t chronic. We&#8217;re helping so the problem stops,&#8221; said Donahoe, who is director of development for UNC. She cited an example of a single mom whose car had bald tires. UNC replaced the tires so the mom could drive to work safely.</p><p>In November, Donahoe said, UNC shelves are full of food donations &#8220;but by March we&#8217;re cleaned out.&#8221; Ergo, February is is a perfect time for a fund-raiser.</p><p>&#8220;Now if I could only arrange some New Orleans weather,&#8221; she said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">United Neighborhood Centers board member Deborah Trickel and director of development Mary Carroll Donahoe show off the mask decorations they made for Party Gras. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_party.gras_.masks_.jpg</photo0><caption0>United Neighborhood Centers board member Deborah Trickel and director of development Mary Carroll Donahoe show off the mask decorations they made for Party Gras. </caption0><photoCredit0>Submitted photos </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_party.gras_.feathers.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Yellow, green and purple are the Mardi Gras colors you&#8217;ll see at Party Gras, perhaps disguising the face of a friend. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_party.gras_.feathers.jpg</photo1><caption1>Yellow, green and purple are the Mardi Gras colors you&#8217;ll see at Party Gras, perhaps disguising the face of a friend. </caption1><photoCredit1>Submitted photos </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_party.gras_.band_.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The Indigo Moon Brass Band will return for this year&#8217;s Party Gras after pleasing the crowd at last year&#8217;s event. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_party.gras_.band_.jpg</photo2><caption2>The Indigo Moon Brass Band will return for this year&#8217;s Party Gras after pleasing the crowd at last year&#8217;s event. </caption2><photoCredit2>Submitted photos </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_party.gras_.more_.masks_.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Deborah Trickel and Mary Carroll Donahoe from United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania show off the decorations that will help make Party Gras festive on Feb. 5 at the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel in Scranton. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_party.gras_.more_.masks_.jpg</photo3><caption3>Deborah Trickel and Mary Carroll Donahoe from United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania show off the decorations that will help make Party Gras festive on Feb. 5 at the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel in Scranton. </caption3><photoCredit3>Submitted photos </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_party.gras_.gametable.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Mock gambling will add to the excitement and Mardi Gras atmosphere of Party Gras, a fund-raiser for United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_party.gras_.gametable.jpg</photo4><caption4>Mock gambling will add to the excitement and Mardi Gras atmosphere of Party Gras, a fund-raiser for United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania. </caption4><photoCredit4>Submitted photos </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p><strong>By Mary Therese Biebel</strong></p><p>mbiebel@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>IF YOU GO</strong></p><p><strong>What:</strong> Party Gras</p><p><strong>Where:</strong> Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel, 138 Jefferson Ave., Scranton</p><p><strong>When:</strong> 6 to 10:30 p.m. Feb. 5</p><p><strong>Tickets:</strong> $80 per person</p><p><strong>Benefits:</strong> United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania</p><p><strong>Info:</strong> 570-346-0759 ext. 114 or www.uncnepa.org. Reservation deadline is Jan. 27.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mary Therese Biebel at 570-991-6109 or on Twitter @BiebelMT</p></shirttailMeta></div>

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Going Cajun for a cause: Party Gras on Feb. 5 will bring flavor of New Orleans to Scranton