News release Public Information Office   SLU 10880   Hammond, LA 70402   phone: 985-549-2341   fax: 985-549-2061 publicinfo@selu.edu     www.selu.edu/news Contact: Janelle Woolley Date: 4/16/03   Click on image for publication quality photo ROOMIE AIDES AID OPTIONS – The Roomie Aides, a Southeastern Louisiana University student organization, collected and donated Mardi Gras beads to OPTIONS,  a local agency that provides services to people with developmental disabilities. From left, front, are Roomie Aides Kathy Hanrahan, Herman Evans, Makeitta Darbonne, Grace Donnelly, Tashawana Feast, Benjamin Oliveira, and, from OPTIONS, Laverne Anderson; back, Roomie Aide Bryan Bradshaw; from OPTIONS, Lori Wagner, Ann Owens, Dana Perise, Stephen Pirosko, Ronald Alaniz, Patsy Baham, Anthony Hubbard, Roomie Aide Chris Kidwell, Michael Bankston, and Annie Williams. SLU ROOMIE AIDES COLLECT BEADS FOR OPTIONS       HAMMOND – The Roomie Aides Freshman Leadership Organization at Southeastern Louisiana University has just completed a successful fundraising drive to collect Mardi Gras beads for OPTIONS, a local agency that provides services to people with developmental disabilities.       OPTIONS, a non-profit organization, uses these donations to help fund their agency.  “They sort the beads, package them, and then sell them back to the different Mardi Gras organizations for a small profit,” said Makeitta Darbonne, chairman of Roomie Aides.  “This is a way to help the people with disabilities to live and work in the community.”        The drive, which ran from March 5-April 1, brought tremendous response from local and regional contributors, Darbonne said..  “Without the help of the Southeastern community, family, friends, faculty and all those involved, the success of this wonderful event would not have been possible.”        Decorated boxes were set up at different locations around campus. The collected beads filled an entire parking space on North Campus where Roomie Aides presented the beads to OPTIONS on April 2.        Darbonne said the Roomie Aides Freshman Leadership Organization, which became officially recognized as a student organizations in January 2003, is off to a great start, and that members  look forward to planning other fundraisers and events to benefit Southeastern and the community. Return to News Releases