Like many great things, the Biloxi Second Liners Mardi Gras Club started with a modest idea.
“One of our members was watching a kids’ parade on television and thought it would be a great idea for the (East Biloxi) neighborhood,” says club president Anthony C. Mitchell.
At the beginning, children circled the block with their wagons — cheered and supported by people in the neighborhood. Twenty-five years later, the Second Liners parade has grown to 80-plus units — and the club is known for sponsoring wholesome activities and supporting charitable causes.
To mark its quarter-century milestone, this year’s theme is “A 25-year Legacy of Black and Gold,” and the group will celebrate at a Mardi Gras Ball, an annual parade, a community funfest, a champagne brunch, brunch after party and Lundi Gras bus trip.
“At these events, (people) will get to witness the members and partygoers take out their umbrella (and) handkerchief and … strut their stuff doing the ‘second line,’” Mitchell says — referring to the lively New Orleans parade style that inspired the group’s name.
Although the club is based in East Biloxi, the president says it unites people across the Coast — as well as Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Many of its 63 members are retirees and military veterans while others work locally in various professions.
Led by a strong sense of social responsibility, Mitchell says the Second Liners are dedicated to making a difference — and feeling good doing it.
“Our mission is to serve youth and families, as well as support other organizations for the benefit of the Mississippi Gulf Coast community,” Mitchell explains. He adds that the club is a “double nickel” nonprofit — inside slang for a civic organization that also has a Carnival/Mardi Gras component and is registered with both the state and the IRS.
“We are one of just eight organizations of this type on the entire Gulf Coast,” Mitchell says.
Even after the floats and ball gowns are stowed away, the Second Liners fulfill their purpose through activities like a kids’ Easter eggstravaganza, a Boys and Girls Club family Thanksgiving dinner and a visitation/donation opportunity at the Greenbriar Nursing Center. In the future, Mitchell said they’d like to do more in regard to granting scholarships, adopting best practices, developing a social media strategy and establishing an associate membership program.
“We offer a faithful presence among the less fortunate and suffering in our community by providing compassionate service, programs and activities throughout the year,” he adds. “We create inspiration and as a mandate of our faith show love for our community with the many acts of compassion and services we provide.”