Peter Mayer’s PR team and Williams Creative Group partnered with the Office of the Lieutenant Governor to plan and host a send-off concert and jambalaya picnic for the Louisiana National Guard 256th Infantry Brigade and their families on Friday, March 5 at Camp Shelby, Miss.

The 3,500 troops who are being deployed to Iraq for their second tour, as well as approximately 6,500 family members and friends attended the event. The crowd was entertained Louisiana-style by Amanda Shaw; Meriwether; Trombone Shorty; David St. Romain; the New Orleans Saints cheerleaders, the Saintsations; the New Orleans Hornets cheerleaders, the Honeybees; and Miss Louisiana 2009 Katherine Putnam. The masters of ceremony for the event were Lt. Gov. Mitchell J. Landrieu, James Carville and Mary Matalin. The Lafayette Jambalaya Krewe provided jambalaya.

WWL-TV, WAFB-TV and The Advocate, among others, covered the event.