January 29, 2020
#DonateYourWeightNOLA
A new bead-donation initiative hopes to make Mardi Gras more green than purple and gold.
Nola Family and Bambino, a community-focused app for connecting families with sitters, want to be at the forefront of preserving the culturally and economically important tradition of Mardi Gras while protecting our city and its residents.
The Donate Your Weight campaign was created to raise awareness and lessen the impact of toxic beads on the environment by encouraging families to donate their weight* in beads.
*The approximated weight of your family in beads could include the whole family or individual family members, or any combination, even the family cat or dog. The winner is chosen at random.
In 2018, over 93,000 pounds of beads alone were pulled from New Orleans storm drains. But did you know, as well as being a landfill nightmare, that lead from these discarded plastic beads (most made in China) can seep into the soil and local waterways?
Along with our Mardi Gras Recycling Guide for both parade riders and revelers, the Donate Your Weight campaign also includes a contest. 
With the help of Greater New Orleans area families, we hope to make a huge dent in the amount of Mardi Gras waste in 2020 and beyond.
How to Enter
1. In February, snap a family photo with the throws you’ll donate.
2. Post the photo, along with the throws’ approximate (you can even guess) weight in pounds with #DonateYourWeightNola and tag Nola Family Magazine on Facebook or Instagram.
3. Find the nearest drop-off spot listed in our Mardi Gras Recycling Guide and head there to donate your throws.
On March 1, one winner will be randomly selected from Facebook or Instagram and contacted through social media.
One super lucky winner will receive (but really, we all win with this contest);
– A coveted, one-of-a-kind Krewe of Muses shoe specially made by Muses member Cris Bregman for the Donate Your Weight contest winner.
– Date night package including a bottle of wine and a night’s stay at the Pontchartrain Hotel (Named #1 Hotel in New Orleans by Condé Nast Traveler’s 2019 Reader’s Choice Awards).
– $250 babysitting credit from Donate Your Weight sponsor Bambino.
The Nola Family Mardi Gras Recycling Guide includes a list of drop-off spots to donate Mardi Gras throws, krewes and organizations with eco-friendly initiatives, and retail locations that sell sustainable throws to offset the 25 million pounds of toxic plastic beads imported annually.
Krewe of Muses‘ Cris Bregman designed this one-of-a kind shoe specially for the Donate Your Weight Initiative. Follow Cris on Instagram @glitterally.amused to see all her fabulous shoes!