Foundation plans 'Mardi Gras'

The Bobbye and Jerry Sloan Hand-in-Hand Foundation will be holding its first-ever "Mardi Gras in the Mountain" fund-raising event March 21 in The Point Restaurant of the Huntsman Cancer Institute.

The Mardi Gras event reception and silent auction begin at 6:30 p.m. followed by a dinner and live auction at 7 p.m.

"The waiters will be celebrities serving food and trying to earn money for tips," said Kathy Sloan Wood, Jerry Sloan's daughter. "Hopefully people will ask them to do outrageous things ... like do the chicken dance or something out of the ordinary, and the guests will pay them tips. The tips go back into the pool for how much money we raise."

Some of the celebrity waiters at the event will include Utah Jazz Head Coach Jerry Sloan; Frank Layden, former head coach and president of the Utah Jazz; Matt and Amanda Harpring; The Bear, the Utah Jazz mascot; Rulon Gardner, Olympic gold medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2000 games; "Hot Rod" Hundley, radio voice of the Utah Jazz; and Thurl Bailey, former Jazz player and now an analyst for the Jazz and University of Utah.

Wood said the funds raised benefit the foundation and two additional organizations important to her mother: The Humane Society of Utah and Utah Wildlife Rehabilitation.

Bobbye Sloan died of pancreatic cancer in June 2004. After her death, Wood said the family decided to form a foundation in her and their father's name to continue contributing to organizations their mother donated to. The Sloan Foundation is now in its second year.

"It's tailored after what she was already doing," Wood said.

Tickets to the dinner are $125 each, or $1,000 for a table of 10. Corporate sponsorships are available. For more information about the event or to purchase tickets, call 317-732-4216 or visit www.bobbyeandjerrysloan.org. Tickets are also available by mailing a check to Hand-in-Hand Foundation Celebrity Waiter Dinner, 3945 S. Wasatch Blvd. #218, Salt Lake City, UT 84124.

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E-mail: twalquist@desnews.com