Published in the June 7 – June 20, 2017 issue of Morgan Hill Life

Photo by Marty Cheek

A record number of visitors attended the 38th annual Morgan Hill Mushroom Mardi Gras Memorial Day weekend, helping to raise more than $60,000 for scholarships.

Right, Sobrato High School senior Jordan Atkins receives her $1,000 scholarship Sunday from Mardi Gras board President Bob Benevento. The festival organizers are still calculating the final numbers but say the 2017 Mardi Gras will surpass the $60,000 net profit made last year, with 100 percent of the money going toward scholarships to high school students who reside within the Morgan Hill Unified School District. “This year we have 52 kids we’re celebrating through the Mushroom Mardi Gras, through your support of this event we’re able to award 52 scholarships to these very deserving kids,” Mayor Steve Tate said. “We’re so glad that they can come here and celebrate with us and we can give them a little something to go forward with.”