The Krewe of Knights proudly announces Mike and Cathy Ostroski as King and Queen of the third annual Mardi Gras Tableau and Ball.

Their Royal Court will be presented as part of the tableau at the ball Feb. 6, at Hedges Hall at St. Matthew Catholic Church. The theme of the ball is Heart of New Orleans.

Guests will taste the flavor of the Big Easy through music, dance, cuisine and other Mardi Gras traditions. The captain and revelers have the flowers, beads and umbrellas ready, and are eager to rev the crowd so they can "pass a good time" as they say in New Orleans.

Carnival, the season of feasting and fun, begins 12 days after Christmas on the Feast of the Epiphany or King Day. Hundreds of parades, balls and parties are held during Carnival. The peak of the season is Mardi Gras Day or Fat Tuesday which is the last day of celebration before Ash Wednesday, which begins the solemn period of Lent characterized by fasting and prayer.

The Krewe thanks the community for their patronage and support the past two years. They are especially grateful for their understanding this recession year when a change of venue was made to lower costs as an effort to increase donations to local charities. Charities are Barrow County Food 2 Kids Program, Barrow County Mobile Food Pantry and Saint Vincent de Paul all of which exist to help struggling community members.

No tickets will be sold at the door, and doors will be locked for about 25 minutes during the presentation of the Court.

For more information or to make donations, call Cathy Ostroski at (770) 307-3554 or Shelia Hawthorne at (770) 962-0520. The Krewe looks forward to providing an evening filled with unique fun, food and fellowship.