FEBRUARY 24, 2020 • MARDI GRAS SOUTHWEST • 29
The Krewe du Couillon celebrated their
11th annual Ball on February 8 at the VFW
on Lake Street. The Ball was set in the streets
of Paris near the Eiffel Tower, dreaming of the
wonderment that Paris holds for us all.
Th e 2020 Royal Court was presented, beginning
with the King & Queen of the Fleur de Lis.
King Kevin Ashby is a resident of Lake
Charles and graduated from Woodlawn High
School in 1983. Kevin chose a career path in
construction and carpentry, working over
30 years in both commercial and residential
construction. Kevin enjoys nature, camping and
spending time with his children. Queen Alisha
Ashby is a resident of Lake Charles and graduated
from Baton Rouge High School in 1999.
She has worked with the Allstate team for over
15 years and is currently at the Hight-Doland
Allstate Agency as sales and office manager.
Alisha loves to read, cook, shop and being
with her family. The Royal Couple have been
together for eight years and have nine children
between the two of them. Together they
volunteer their time and efforts to Hamilton!
Christian School. Alisha works diligently raising
money with different fundraisers throughout
the school year and Kevin assists the school
with his carpentry talents and never misses a
field trip with the kids. They have been Krewe
members since 2016, love everything Mardi
Gras and it is their favorite event to participate
in together every year.
Captain of the Fleur de Lis, Courtney Ballard
was raised in Southwest Louisiana. She attended
Barbe High School and graduated from
McNeese State University in 2012 with a degree
in early childhood education. She currently
teaches kindergarten at Hamilton Christian
School. Courtney was married in 2019 to her
husband Red Ballard. They have one son, Huck,
and are expecting their second baby in August
of this year.
Our Debutante for 2020 is Madyson
Lejune. Madyson currently resides in De-
Quincy. An honor student at DeQuincy High
School, she is a member of the BETA Club and
choir. Madyson plans to attend McNeese State
University for a nursing degree and eventually
become a nurse practitioner, specializing in
pediatrics.
The Duke & Duchess of the Eiffel Tower
are Brandon Keith and Laura Ann Oliver.
Brandon was born and raised in Lake Charles.
He graduated from Iowa High School and
then went to Federal Institute and received his
certifications in automotive services. Although
he is now the lead tow truck driver for Atomic
Towing in Lake Charles, his passion is working
on hot rods and other automotive specialties.
Laura Ann was born in Pasadena, TX. She
grew up in Houston until she found her country
roots in Louisiana. She is assistant executive
at the Holiday Inn Express in Lake Charles. She
is a huge lover of all animals, and her passion
is animal rescue and rehabilitation. They live
in Moss Bluff where they run their own small,
part-time business. Together, ! they enjoy traveling
and all things outdoors. As members of Big
Pines Hunting Club, they spend most of their
extra time in the woods.
The Duke & Duchess of Beaujolais are
Bryan Hayes Book and Chrissie Reeves Book.
Bryan is the son of the late Barney and Mary
Sue Book. He graduated from Westlake High
School, where he met his Duchess Chrissie.
Bryan recently retired from the Veterans Hospital
in Pineville with 30 years of service. He
also served four years in the US Navy. Chrissie
is the daughter of the late Allen and Cherry
Reeves of Westlake. She has worked at various
jobs through her life, but none so rewarding as
being a mother of their three children, Brandon,
Kimberly and Kristen. While Westlake will
always be called home, they now live in Montgomery,
Louisiana. They both enjoy traveling,
fishing and hunting, and enjoy making wine
from elderberry and muscadine grown on their
property, and then sharing a f! ew glasses and
laughs with friends.
Krewe du Couillon was established in 2009
by Lynn, Wink, Linde and Mary VanWinkle,
who wanted to embrace the spirit of Mardi
Gras for all. And though they may fall right
into their Louisiana namesake, they are not just
a bunch of fun-loving fools; they are one big
happy family. They not only commit to customs
and traditions, they celebrate the season with
participation and giving back to the community
throughout the year, and promote their same
fun to all.