State Sen. Christopher Bateman at last year’s Mardi Gras celebration.
Verve, a French restaurant in Somerville, NJ, has once again selected Matheny as the beneficiary of its Mardi Gras-Carnivale celebration, to be held Feb. 7-10 and 12. The celebration, according to owner Rick St. Pierre, will feature Venice, Brazil and New Orleans-inspired food and libations, baubles, beads, gaudy decorations and cheap plastic trinkets. Partial proceeds from those nights will be donated to Matheny.
A special feature of the Fat Tuesday celebration, on Feb. 12, is the annual Mardi Gras silent mask auction, and a portion of the auction proceeds will also benefit Matheny. Want to donate a mask? Drop it off at Verve, 18 East Main St., by January 28.
Since opening Verve in the late 1990s, St. Pierre has consistently given back to the community. He was named Somerville’s Citizen of the Year in 2011, and he is chairman of the Downtown Somerville Alliance events committee. In 2008, he was given the Somerset County Business Partnership’s Economic Vitality Award.
In 2012, the Mardi Gras celebration raised $1,900 for Matheny. For reservations, call (908) 707-8655 and be sure to mention Matheny.
One of last year’s Mardi Gras masks.
