The Krewe of Alegria was established in 1986 by Dianne Henry and Rocky Valdez. After years of parade watching, it occurred to us that no female krewes existed. With flawed logic, we rushed to Armour Costume Rentals on Florida Avenue to rent Carmen Miranda outfits... minus the fruited headpiece! With costumes in hand, we were ready to join the ranks of male krewes in bead throwing and revelry! We quickly got ready for the big day, donned our outfits and rushed to Bayshore Boulevard where it rained terribly that day. But regardless of the rain, when the parade began to move...so did we! It was a matter of a few short minutes before the parade marshalls did their piratical duty and caught up with us. Just as things were looking bleak...out of nowhere a friend appeared and the rest is history as they say.

The name "Alegria" was chosen because it is the Spanish word for happiness and joy. We became known as Tony Garcia's "Goodwill Ambassadors" because of the many events we helped with over the years. For the past 18 years, we have done our best to represent him and this community well.

A recent addition to this long-time krewe is the addition of our "Gentlemen Pirates." These men are not krewe members but security monitors, bead detanglers and jacks of all trades, helping where ever they are needed. When Dianne Henry's father recently passed away, she found a well-worn t-shirt among his belongings. Interestingly, it was from his "Crew" aboard the vessel "Thumper," a catamaran that he built in the Virgin Islands where Dianne was raised. Thus, the name Gentlemen Pirates is a tribute to her father.

Like other krewes, the members of Alegria work hard in the community supporting causes such as the Children's Cancer Hospital, Metropolitan Ministries and Shriners. We are proudest, however, of our own "Kickin' for Kids" program, which provides new shoes for children. To date, over 2,000 pairs of shoes have been distributed through local schools and childcare centers.

"A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, what sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove...but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child."

So simple and yet, so true. Viva Alegria!

-Dyann "Rocky" Valdez