EDGARD — A crowd of 400 gathered last week to celebrate a Tigerville Good Friday Block Party in Edgard, and organizers hope the first-time event becomes a yearly tradition.

Edgard’s Gala Holden said he coordinated the event, along with other community members who routinely host a bonfire each Christmas.

“We see a great need in the community for togetherness,” he said. “We need to get back to unity and togetherness and back to a mindset of no one has a lot but we are a family.”

The event took place Friday on Bailey Lane, between East Fifth and East Sixth streets and included a crawfish boil, toy giveaway and an Easter egg hunt.

“We gave away eight sacks of crawfish,” Holden said. “A lot of people came and asked who they could pay, not believing it could just be a free gift. The donations that were given out included eight sacks of crawfish, lots of candy for the children, silly string, snap poppers, Easter Bunny ears, water guns and summer toys — anything to have fun with.

“Children enjoyed the spacewalks, the adults enjoyed the crawfish. Every kid left with something.”

Holden said several individuals and local businesses donated toys for the children and food for those who attended.

“Jes Construction, Baileys Hotspot, IMPCO, Cheryl Louper, Keri Louper, Brandon Pierre, Renoldo Lumar, Amone Lumar and Kenneth Jarrow were major contributors that made this event such a successful one,” Holden said.

Word-of-mouth advertising was all Holden utilized to build up last week’s fun, but he said he hopes next year’s Tigerville Good Friday Block Party grows in this month’s success.

“There was a need for the community to gather together as a family to celebrate Good Friday,” Holden said. “We believed the kids and adults all needed something to bring them together for the Easter Holidays. It is all about family.”

— By Gladys Davis Mulkey