When Don Spiers first approached Claude Bloom about being the king of MCCA, his only mandate was Bloom guarantee good weather.

For the past two years the parade that has never been rained out but certainly rained on has been forced to second line around and through thunderstorms. Last year even the bands did not march.

Bloom said not to worry, recently revealing he borrowed and then modified a prayer for good weather that Gen. George Patton demanded a battalion chaplain compose before a major battle.

But even if cloudy skies cast an ominous complexion on the Magic City, Bogalusa’s annual Carnival celebration reveals more about the heart of a region than marching bands, revelers throwing beads and youngsters scraping the ground to snag a valued trinket.

Similar to the Washington Parish Fair, MCCA is the coalescence of a community, a 3.3-mile family playground where racial and sociological barriers are collapsed for the greater purpose of passing a good time.

Spiers has been the MCCA gatekeeper since its inception more than 30 years ago, and under his guidance the organization has matured from a fledgling operation to a parade that is largest for a city with a population of 13,000. His contributions have been invaluable, measured in the more pregnant value of memories rather than dollars and cents.

Even so, the parade provides an annual fusion of money into a revenue-deprived economy, certainly welcome among business owners.

The parade is scheduled to roll for the 33rd year Saturday under what is forecast to be a canopy of blues skies, only fitting since MCCA is a celebration of a parish, the continued realization of a dream and a shining (hopefully sun-shining) moment for Bogalusa.

With Bloom and Beth Breland, each a popular and well-deserved selection, serving as royalty, MCCA is sure to add another rich chapter to its legacy.

Enjoy the parade.

Hail MCCA!