The Lupus Foundation of America, North Carolina Chapter (LFANC) is bringing the spirit of the Mardi Gras “Carnival” to Charlotte. Presented by the Dickerson Family Trust, the 8th Annual Lupus Mardi Gras Gala will take place on Saturday, March 8, 2014 from 7:00PM – Midnight at a new host venue – CenterStage@NoDa located at 2315 N. Davidson Street in Charlotte.

Featuring entertainment by Hot Sauce, the event will include Creole cuisine, a silent auction, photo booth, fortunate teller and more. Guests will also be treated to a Mardi Gras Masquerade Contest, luxury raffle, and crowning of the Gala King & Queen. Tickets are $150 per person and must be purchased by Feb. 21. To order tickets online, by phone or by mail, visit www.lupusnc.org or call 704-716-5640. Table sponsorships are also available. All proceeds "help unmask lupus" and benefit LFANC.

This annual event was founded in 2007 by Dr. Ginger Dickerson, a physician with Eastover University OBGYN. Dr. Dickerson, along with her brother Todd and father Don, created the Dickerson Family Trust to support of the Lupus Foundation of America and to honor their sister, Amy Taylor who was diagnosed with lupus at the age of 20. Since its beginning, the Lupus Mardi Gras Gala has raised $392,000.

“We are very excited about our new venue and ‘Carnival’ theme that will bring a lot of fun and exciting features to the gala,” said Christine John-Fuller, President & CEO of the LFANC. “We appreciate the efforts of the Dickerson Family, the gala committee and other supporters in making this a truly memorable event. We encourage the community to be a part of this special evening and ‘help us unmask lupus.’”

For questions, contact the LFANC office at 704-716-5640 or email info@lupusnc.org.

About Lupus:

Lupus is an unpredictable and misunderstood autoimmune disease that ravages different parts of the body. It is difficult to diagnose, hard to live with, and a challenge to treat. Lupus is a cruel mystery because it is hidden from view and undefined, has a range of symptoms, hits out of nowhere, and has no known cause and no known cure. Its health effects can range from a skin rash to a heart attack. Lupus is debilitating and destructive, and can be fatal, yet research on lupus remains underfunded relative to its scope and devastation.

About the Lupus Foundation of America, North Carolina Chapter

The Lupus Foundation of America, North Carolina Chapter is part of the national force devoted to solving the cruel mystery of lupus while providing caring support to those who suffer from its brutal impact. We work with local health professionals and volunteers to provide information and programs to ensure people with lupus and their families get answers and health professionals know about new means to diagnose and manage the disease. The chapter serves an estimated 45,000 living with lupus in North Carolina. For more information about lupus or the LFANC, visit www.lupusnc.org or call (877) 849-8271. For the latest news and updates, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.