MAYORS BALL

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay and wife Kim show off their Mardi Gras masks as they kick off the fourth annual Mayors Ball at City Hall in St. Louis on February 24, 2006. The Mayor's Ball begins the celebration of Mardi Gras and the Mardi Gras parade which is known as the second largest Mardi Grad parade in the United States, behind New Orleans. (UPI Photo/Bill Greenblatt)