Soroptimist club makes merry at its annual Mardi Gras event

A riot of color greeted attendees as they entered a world of carnival conviviality this past Saturday during the Soroptimist International Pahrump Valley’s annual Mardi Gras celebration.

Kicking off the afternoon of March 1, the event took place inside the Pahrump Nugget Events Center, which was adorned with all the glitzy décor one could want at a Mardi Gras festival. Deep purple, glimmering gold and shining green could be spotted all around the venue and patrons came dressed to impress with their most carnival-style attire. Guests spent the night mingling, indulging in a prime rib dinner, warring over the live auction items and bidding on those in the silent auction, leading to yet another very successful endeavor for the nonprofit.

“Everything went extremely well,” an exuberant Nancy Davis, president of the local Soroptimist club, raved afterward. “Our four platinum sponsorships sold out almost immediately and all other sponsorship categories exceeded our expectations. This, combined with ticket sales, brought us to a sold-out status three weeks before the event! We were so excited to sell out of tickets for a second year and fill every seat with just over 200 people in attendance.

“The staff at the Pahrump Nugget were amazing to work with, the food was excellent and the auction items donated by members of our committee were outstanding,” Davis continued. “This year we had a co-emcee, Jeffrey Dyer, to whom we are grateful for his sparkling personality and the energy he brought to the featured activities of the evening.”

With all contributions totaled, the Mardi Gras event brought in over $30,000, which event organizers reported was a full $7,500 more than 2024’s celebration.

But the night wasn’t just about fundraising. There were some very special ladies honored at Mardi Gras, including the winners of the Soroptimist club’s Live Your Dream Award, a cash award for women who are continuing their education that can be put to any use the recipient needs, such as books, gasoline for transportation, child care and more. The funds from Mardi Gras are a primary driver behind this program, which falls neatly into Soroptimist International’s mission of empowering women and girls through education, support and resources that better their lives.

The first place winner for the 2025 Live Your Dream Award was Ruby Dee Flores. Other recipients included Angela Pemberton, Jessica Bliss, Wanda Hair and Stephanie Lopez.

The spotlight was shown on three other local women, too, with Gwen Jarnesky and Redell Samuel both earning themselves the Ruby Award, while the Community Award went to Michelle Caird.

There were many on the list of those whom Soroptimist members wished to thank for their participation in Mardi Gras 2025.

“We are extraordinarily grateful to our members, the community and beyond for such unwavering support. Of course, we couldn’t put on a special event like this without the help of our photographer, Todd and Elena Arms, ‘Your Hometown Photographers’ and Ski Censke, our auctioneer, as well as our Tarot Card reader, Breeana Peterson and the Nugget staff. Our wonderful community of sponsors, donors and benefactors made this year’s Mardi Gras a huge success. Equally so, from the endless hours spent planning to their financial contributions, our members’ commitment was exceptional. A heartfelt thank-you to everyone for such tremendous generosity, enabling us to increase our educational assistance to girls and women here in Pahrump,” Davis concluded.

Soroptimist PV meets every first and third Tuesday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the NyE Communities Coalition, 1020 E. Wilson Road. Residents interested in joining the club can stop by a meeting or visit SoroptimistPV.com for more information.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com