Morgan Hill's Mushroom Mardi Gras President Dan Sullivan untangles a festival flag Wednesday on Monterey Road. Sullivan has been on the board of directors for the past 10 years.
Mushroom Mardi Gras Board President Dan Sullivan didn't know what he was getting into in 1995 when he agreed to man a booth at the popular festival to raise money for Jackson Elementary School's Home and School Club.
"Our booth earned $9,500," said the 55-year-old mustached mushroom maven.
After a few years, festival leadership noticed his skillful booth-handling.
Soon, Mushroom Mardi Gras board member Ron Woolf approached Sullivan to see if he was at all interested in sitting on the board.
He was.
This is Sullivan's tenth year on the nine-member board which is busy preparing for the festival scheduled May 24-25 at the Community and Cultural Center and Depot Street.
The tall and casual president is also an active festival volunteer, working nearly year-round to pull off one of Morgan Hill's signature events which attracts about 60,000 attendees raising money for scholarships to local graduates and helps other non-profit organizations raise money for their programs.
"Our goal is to keep increasing the amount we can give," he said of the scholarship fund which is administered by South Valley Bank. The organization has given more than $500,000 in scholarships since it began holding the festival, in 1980.
Sullivan said he's been involved with everything from putting up barricades to filling water in the port-a-potty sinks.
"Whatever needs to be done, I'll do it" he said.
Board Secretary Treasurer Ron Woolf said that despite the new venue, last year's event was flawless thanks to Sullivan's leadership.
"When we moved from Monterey Road to Depot Street, Dan worked with the people who run the community center down there, with the vendors, and the transition went tremendously," Woolf said. "He's just a very approachable person, one who will listen to people and accept ideas."
This year, the 29th Mushroom Mardi Gras will give 38 $1,000 scholarships to graduating high school students.
Sullivan, a building materials salesman at the Mountain View-based Peninsula Building Materials, said the most important thing for him is that the Mushroom Mardi Gras be a quality event, with efficient vendors and homemade crafts. This year, Sullivan said there will be about 260 booths. All have been reserved, and he anticipates a waiting list as other businesses and groups try to join in on the fun.
"If we do that, then we will make money for the scholarship fund and be able to give out more for scholarships," he said.
Sullivan's daughter, Mary Margaret Sullivan, now a student at West Valley College, received a scholarship from the Mushroom Mardi Gras in 2006.
Sullivan said he generally ducks into the Mushroom Mardi Gras office on Vineyard Town Center daily to sign checks authorizing purchases greater than $500.
With an event this large, there are many checks that total more than $500: posters, fliers, renting port-a-potties, for example.
But that's not all he does - Sullivan meets with other board members, volunteers and vendors for many of the festival's schematic elements, like where each booth and tent will be and making sure there's room for foot traffic.
Mushroom Mardi Gras Executive Director Sunday Minnich said she couldn't pull off the festival without the focused gentleman.
"In every way, he's the best boss anybody could ever ask for," Minnich said. "He rolls up his sleeves and gets his hands dirty. He's at the festival from Friday morning to Monday afternoon."
Sullivan was modest about his contribution to the festival.
"It's a hands-on board," he said. The other board members volunteer their time too, he said. "It always has been."
Natalie Everett Natalie Everett covers education and city issues for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106, ext. 201, or neverett@morganhilltimes.com.
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Plastic, paper bag ban considered
Plastic, paper bag ban considered
