Festival-goers will still be able to vote for their favorite king cake.
“The heart and soul hasn’t changed,” said McCulla.
The family-friendly event attracts hundreds with its food and music as well as a one-mile fun-run/walking parade, 4.5K run and raffles, but it also serves a serious purpose.
In 2018, the festival raised $250,000, up from $200,000 in 2017, making it the premier event for that division of Ochsner Health Systems.
“Every year we grow a little bit, which is a wonderful thing,” McCulla said.
More than 400 Ochsner volunteers work the festival each year.
The money raised goes to support medical programs and help the families of sick children, said Thomas Harris Jr., vice president of pediatrics for Ochsner Health System.
“We put the money in two more funds, the patient assistance and pediatric innovations funds,” Harris said. “They are broad, general funds so we can funnel the money into special projects that we need.
“We’ve used this money to do things like providing transportation for patients and their families, providing them with meals, giving them housing assistance,” he said. “We have even used this money to pay for funerals, if (patients) pass away and the family cannot cover the full amount.”
Some of the money also goes to support programs at the Michael R. Boh Center for Child Development, which opened in 2018 to care for children with a range of physical and neuro-cognitive disabilities.
“A lot of the patients that we take care of are on Medicaid and, unfortunately, our federal government is not the best payer and so the money helps cover the cost of providing these services,” Harris said.
“Patients are able to get world-class and quality care without having to worry the bottom line,” he said.
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KING CAKE FESTIVAL
What: A daylong festival featuring 27 food vendors serving samples of king cake and other Carnival-themed dishes. It features live music, a Kids’ Zone with games, a 1-mile and a 4.5K run and raffles to raise money for Ochsner’s Hospital for Children.
Where: Champions Square, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
When: Sunday (Jan. 27) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tickets: The festival is free. Tasting tickets are $2 apiece and available online or at the festival. The Kids’ Zone is free. There is a small fee for games. A $20 wristband gives children all access. “I Got The Baby” and VIP experience passes are available in advance or at the gate. VIP tickets are $75 for adults, $20 for children. “I Got the Baby” admission is $200 and includes two adult VIP tickets, two all-access child tickets and 20 tasting tickets.
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Ann Maloney writes about home cooking and dining out for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. She can be reached at amaloney@nola.com. Follow her on Twitter at @wherenoleats, on Instagram at @wherenolaeats and join the Where NOLA Eats Facebook group Subscribe to the free Where NOLA Eats weekly newsletter here.
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