St. Mary Catholic School holds annual Mardi Gras parade and bead toss

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Tuesday is Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday and one school in New Hanover County continued a decades-long Mardi Gras tradition.

St. Mary Catholic School on Ann Street held its annual Mardi Gras parade and bead toss for its elementary and middle school students.

The tradition began more than 20 years ago when New Orleans native Clifton Lively, who was then the school’s campus manager, suggested finding some way to celebrate Mardi Gras.

The parade went around the block where the school is located and ended in front of the rectory.

There, teachers and staff threw beads and candy for students to catch.

School administrator Sandy O’Leary said the parade is a tradition they look forward to every year.

“So it means a lot to me and my family and these, like my beads here, these were from Clifton, these were my Clifton beads so I wear them every year,” O’Leary said. “So it’s very emotional for me.”

Lively died in 2012 and O’Leary said this is just one way the school has continued to honor the impact he had on this faith community.