The Crown Jewels (NC) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated presents the
20th AnniversaryMARDI GRASGala
From the Queen City to the Emerald City
Date
Saturday, February 6, 2027, 5:30 PM to 11:00 PM
Location
The Westin Charlotte
601 South College Street, Charlotte, NC
A Royal Announcement
20th Anniversary Mardi Gras Gala King
We are thrilled to announce that Taylor Moton will serve as King of our 20th Anniversary Mardi Gras Gala, a crowning achievement for a man who has given so much to Charlotte.
The son of an educator, Taylor founded Keep Teachers In The Game, an initiative that supports and honors Charlotte classroom teachers. He launched it at Classroom Central, where local teachers gathered free supplies and met with him personally. He has also joined community partners to surprise Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools teachers with $120,000 in mid-year support for their classrooms, and he has volunteered at Roof Above, helping to restore the grounds of its men’s shelter. Each summer he returns to his home state of Michigan to host a youth football camp. Taylor is an offensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers and was a Gold Sponsor of our 2026 gala, and we are honored to welcome him back as our King.
He will be crowned alongside the Royal Court of Emerald Distinction on Saturday, February 6, 2027, at The Westin Charlotte.
Proceeds benefit The Links Foundation, Incorporated.
Our Sponsors
Join our 2026 sponsors in supporting our annual Mardi Gras Gala.
We are forever grateful.
Platinum Sponsors
Gold Donors
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsor
Photo Booth Sponsor
Emerald Sponsors
Emerald Judicial Friend
Twenty Years of Scholarship
About the Gala
For three decades, the Crown Jewels (NC) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated has served the Charlotte community, and for two of those decades, we have turned an evening of elegance into a lifetime of opportunity for the students of our community. This year, we invite you to follow the path with us once more, toward a night of transformation, and toward the futures we make possible together.
Our 20th Anniversary Mardi Gras Gala, From the Queen City to the Emerald City, is more than a celebration. It is the return on a promise our chapter has kept for two decades: that the brilliance of a young scholar should never be dimmed by the cost of a college dream. Every table sponsored, every experience underwritten, and every partnership formed on February 6, 2027 becomes a scholarship, a mentor, a first-generation graduate, a future engineer, physician, or attorney who will one day light the way for the next.
The Emerald City was never really about the destination. It was about what the travelers discovered they carried within themselves along the way. Our scholars are already extraordinary. Your partnership simply helps the world see it.
In 2026 alone, our Crowning Achievements program awarded $90,000 in scholarships.
Join Us
From the Queen City to the Emerald City
Saturday, February 6, 2027 · The Westin Charlotte