The 8th Annual Gala of the Alfred Mann Foundation, An Evening of Innovation and Inspiration honoring Quincy Jones, Nancy Young, M.D., and Debbie Allen, was held on October 16, 2011 at Hangar 8 in Santa Monica. The theme of the evening was Mardi Gras, New Orleans. It was a spectacular evening with Mardi Gras floats and New Orleans street scenes surrounding the walls of the hangar.