Colorful boas and festival masks greeted the guests arriving at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on April 2 for the 4th annual Mardi Growl benefiting the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.
Hundreds of items were donated by area merchants and friends of AWLA for the silent auction. Major sponsors of the annual fundraiser were Greenleaf Health LLC, Rosenthal Auto, Jackie and Charles Cottrell, Kendra Davis and Joe Trahern, Hayfield Animal Hospital, Fort Hunt Animal Hospital, Andrew Palmieri of Saul Ewing, Tykie Tobin, and VCA Alexandria Animal Hospital. U.S. Rep. Jim Moran was honored as King of the Krewe of Barkus.
Evening emcees were Steve Rudin of ABC7/WJLA-TV and the Alexandria Town Crier Benjamin Fiore-Walker. Diane Vidoni chaired the Mardi Growl host committee with Shari Bolouri, Diane Devendorf, Suzanne Goulden, Charlotte Hall, Tina Leone, Sandy Modell, Gayle Reuter, Lisa Waller and Sandy Yamamoto.