Mardi Gras Throws to Afghanistan

Rather than gathering dust in a closet, this modest haul of 2008 Mardi Gras throws has a long journey ahead of it. They may not bring about world peace, but at least it teaches a southern tradition.

“Mardi Gras is fun to catch stuff and half the stuff we get,” says Boy Scout Crawford Stitt. We don't really need it and we don't really do anything with it like most of the footballs and things like that.” The young man came up with the plan to send the throws to children in Kabul Afghanistan. It's a project meant to help the soldiers who deliver it as well as the kids.

“Well it's something they've never seen before,” says Crawford’s mother Candice Neal. “It's shiny it's exciting there's cuddly stuffed animals for the kids to cuddle up with.” Candice's cousin Tim Wood trains the Afghani police and wanted to bring some southern cheer overseas. For now they have just four boxes. As Crawford jams boxes with Mardi Gras goodies, he says they're going to a better place.

“Well every year we've been doing it,” says Crawford. “We've been kinda making a little bit of plans for this so we haven't been doing much with it lately except storing it.” When one of these big boxes is packed up it weighs about ten pounds. For security reasons they can only ship out one a day, and you should also know that not every throw can go.

“Nothing that looks like anything violent,” says Candice. “No religious items cause they are Muslim those are really our only limitations.” Amid the clamor for Carnival kitsch, Crawford was thinking about the kids who would get it. He says this is a new tradition.

“Probably until I get tired of Mardi Gras and that will be a couple years from now. The boy scouts are looking for additional donations this Saturday. They’ll be at the Fairhope Winn Dixie from 8am to 1pm.

Compass Bank is accpeting monitary donations:
BSA Pack 46
Care of Fairhope First Baptist Church

The group is looking for donations for medical supplies. They're in need of bandages, band-aids, cotton balls, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide and medical tape.