Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is sponsoring the World’s Largest Jambalaya event on Saturday, May 1, noon-7 p.m. at The Pelican in Ocean Springs.  The event, which will provide ham and sausage jambalaya dinners to ticket holders, also includes live music and an auction.

“We are so excited about challenging the World’s Record for the Largest Jambalaya,” said Carin Platt, event coordinator. “The pot that we are cooking the meal in was specially made for the event and is 8 feet wide and 2 and a half feet deep. It should be a great party.”

The second event of its kind held by the college (the first was largest Pulled Pork BBQ in 2018) is designed to raise funds for the college’s food pantries at each campus and center.

“The food pantries at each of the college’s locations help our students through many trying times for them, whether it is food insecurity for just them or for their whole family,” Platt said.  “We provide frozen items, dry and canned goods, and personal hygiene products. We also have pop-up food pantries located around campus to provide snacks for students who need them.”

Platt said food insecurity is much more prevalent on college campuses than most of us like to think. “In a country like the U.S., where you would think everyone had access to proper nourishment, food insecurity is a very real thing.  It affects people in the general public and many students on our college campuses as well.  We don’t want our students to be worried about where their next meal is coming from and want to make sure that they have what they need to succeed in college.”

Platt said meals that are not purchased will be used to feed individuals in nursing homes and homeless shelters along with local first responders.  “We have a team of drivers ready to deliver meals to various nonprofit organizations along the Coast as well as many of our first responders,” Platt said. “As part of the Guinness Book of World Records requirements, we must make sure none of the food goes to waste.”

“We invite everyone to come out to help us set a world’s record, get a great meal and donate a meal to someone in need!  We promise a good time and good food.”

The Pelican is located at 503 Porter Avenue, Ocean Springs, 39564.

Event sponsors include The Pelican, MGCCC Food Pantries, Smithfield Foods, Southern Event & Party, Justin Wilson’s Southern Products, Lynchburg Landing and System Scales Corporation Mobile.

Tickets are $10 per plate.  To purchase tickets, contact one of the following:

• Carin Platt, Jackson County Campus (platt@mgccc.edu)
• Dawn Buckley, Harrison County Campus (buckley@mgccc.edu)
• Katherine Jellum, Perkinston Campus (jellum@mgccc.edu)
• Will Overstreet, George County Center (overstreet@mgccc.edu)
• Stephanie Nguyen, The Bryant Center (nguyen@mgccc.edu)
• Lea Huskey, Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Center (huskey@mgccc.edu)
• Gerren Poole, West Harrison County Center (poole@mgccc.edu)