'Mardi Gras in Manhattan' to Benefit New Orleans Crafts Guild

New Yorkers seeking to celebrate Mardi Gras can stay in town and party for good cause on February 28, Mardi Gras night. "Mardi Gras in Manhattan" will feature the sounds of authentic bayou Jazz, a full course Crescent City menu, and plenty of Mardi Gras spirit.

Proceeds will benefit The New Orleans Crafts Guild, a non profit organization that trains high school students in construction skills, including plastering, masonry and metallurgy. The group trains students to become apprentices to work for building contractors while continuing to receive academic instruction from the Guild. Two major projects of the Guild involved the renovation of the homes of two jazz legends -- Kid Ory and Red Allen. Guild founder Jeff Treffinger hopes that Guild apprentices can put their newfound skills to work to help rebuild New Orleans.

The benefit is sponsored by a group of New Orleanians and their Manhattan friends who felt compelled to do something to help the city. The benefit will be held at Ruth Chris' Steakhouse, which was founded in New Orleans and is creating a special Crescent City menu for the event. Music will be provided by the Victor L. Goines' New Orleans Jazz Band. Goines is a New Orleans native and Artistic Director of Jazz Studies at Julliard.

"We wanted to bring some of the Big Easy to the Big Apple to help the rebuilding effort. What better way than to help the New Orleans Crafts Guild which is giving students the skills and the inspiration to make a difference," said Chris Garcia, an organizer of event who has numerous family members in New Orleans and south Louisiana. "In my family, we have three permanently displaced relatives, one destroyed house, one destroyed car and another damaged house. But that's good news compared to the suffering of so many others," Garcia said.

Pablo Vengoechea, a New York architect, is also supporting the benefit. His daughter was studying at the University of New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit and had to transfer her studies to the University of California -- Berkeley. "We were inconvenienced, but at least had options. We feel for the families who lost everything. This is one small way for us to help them," Vengoechea said.

Tickets to the benefit are $250 each and are tax deductible. Mardi Gras in Manhattan will be held from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at Ruth Chris' Steakhouse, 148 W. 51st. St. in New York,

SOURCE: Chris Garcia

CONTACT: Chris Garcia
212-904-4875
Cybele Gontar
212-879-5500, extension 4604