The Second Liners Mardi Gras Club was founded in the East Biloxi community in Biloxi, MS in 1995. It evolved through an idea as one of our members was watching a kid’s parade on television and thought it would be a great idea for the neighborhood. It started with kids going around the block with wagons and people in the neighborhood helping out. The parade culminated with a community fun fest free to the general public and continues to date. The parade has grown to include as many as 80 units parading.

The purposes of the Second Liners Mardi Gras Club, Inc. are to sponsor, support and provide wholesome Community and Outreach Activities that are both youth and family-friendly. Primarily our focus is on projects that are vital to the community, promote and support neighborhood enrichment, promote and support health and human resource awareness.

Many of our members put in countless hours to civic causes throughout the year in the various communities here on the  Mississippi Gulf Coast. The intent of our organization is to serve our community and to develop an enduring rapport between its residents. Our name is misleading to some who do not understand certain industry non-profit organizations and the vital work we do for the community. The purposes of our club tell the true story of our existence, planning, and civic nature. Therefore proceeds earned are in turn to support charitable causes and go back into the community.

The organization’s current membership stands at seventy-two sustaining members and six honorary members. Although the club is home-based in the East Biloxi community, we are proud that we have been able to bring together citizens from the entire Mississippi Gulf Coast community and from the states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

We are registered with the State of Mississippi, Secretary of State as a charitable organization and we are 50l(c)3 entity as designated by the Internal Revenue Service. That makes the organization a, “double nickel”, a two in one 501(c) (3), as it were. The term is inside slang for civic organizations that also carry a Carnival/Mardi Gras component. We are one of just eight (8) organizations of this type on the entire Gulf Coast.

We offer a faithful presence among the less fortunate and suffering in our community by providing compassionate service, programs, and activities throughout the year. 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.

We have been so blessed over the years have been able to garner the support and/or sponsorship of several entities over the years who support what we do, including the IP Casino, WJZD94.5, Harrison County Board of Supervisors, and the City of Biloxi just to name a few.

Community service is what we do and we do so by being actively involved with various community agencies or organizations through the giving time: Examples include:

• IP Casino Resort  Spa

• East Biloxi Boys and Girls Club

• City of Biloxi – Night Out Against Crime

• City of Biloxi – Neighborhood \Watch

• City of Biloxi Juneteenth Celebration

• Seniors Luncheon

• Nursing Home Visitation

• Annual Easter Kids Extravaganza

Indirect community service is a function we do also by providing resources through a roundabout procedure. Examples include:

• Breast Cancer Awareness Walk

• A desire to help others through the donation of money or physical items

• Operation Santa

• Thanksgiving Turkey Give away

• Saint Paul de Vincent Society

• Annual Scholarship Awards

• Supporting local churches

We also provide community services through advocacy when applicable, by writing letters or speaking in support of a community agency or organization and or by organizing activities to increase awareness of a topic or issue.

We are aware of our environment and our organization has a specific way of interacting and accomplishing things. \Ve are excited about our programs and services and being involved with other entities to meet a need within the community is a truly rewarding experience and to say we enjoy our scenic opportunities is indeed an understatement. It is our sense of responsibility of keeping our commitment to make a difference, feel good doing it, strengthening our community and our organization that we do what we do.

Respectfully,

Marvin Dickey, President

“There are so many people who have to get by with all types of nothing, whether it is no food, no affection, no education, or no respect.  To alleviate any degree of any burden, – to make something better – is, for me, the pinnacle of accomplishment and hope.”
-Alaina Smith