THROW ME SOMETHIN' MISTER!

Join BOSCO'S in helping artists who are struggling from the impact of the hurricanes Katrina and Rita! Through March, any donation you make at the register will get you a genuine, first post-Katrina-Mardi Gras necklace! (while supplies last.) These were caught specially by John Bosco on the streets of New Orleans!

The mural on this float pretty much tells it all. Flood waters flowing in front of Jackson Square. Police, military and a helicopter helping out. But a musician still plays and in defiance of it all, the scene is painted on a Mardi Gras float. Click the picture to link to the artist's website. This float is part of a project to help struggling artists.

John Bosco has just returned from a Fun Raising event in post-Katrina New Orleans. That's a great town that took a real beating from two hurricanes. The spirit of the town is still vibrant. The parts that most tourists would go to are in pretty good shape. The outlying neighborhoods where most folks lived varied from hard hit to devasted.

Some say it will take $100 billion to rebuild those neighborhoods. In an effort to do a small part to help, BOSCO'S will give a special limited edition "First Mardi Gras after Katrina" string of Mardi Gras beads to anyone who makes a donation to help New Orleans folks in need. We'll ring it in at the register and send a check at the end of March.

Since BOSCO'S is a lot about comics and comics are a lot about art, we've chosen to make a donation to CERF. CERF’s emergency relief programs provide assistance to help sustain a craft artist’s career when an emergency occurs. They have a special fund for artists having trouble due to Katrina. For more info go to http://www.craftemergency.org/ .

Large neighborhoods in New Orleans have been abandoned. No people, no place to work, no jobs. It was New Orleans this time. It could be Anchorage next.

What is Mardi Gras? In brief, it is a city-wide costume party. A big part of the show are parades with floats (called "krewes") full of members that toss beads (necklaces), doubloons and occasional other goodies at the swarms of people. A neckfull of beads is a matter of pride on the streets of New Orleans.

Fill your neck with pride by making a donation to help artists clobbered by Katrina!

Check out these pictures taken Feb 25-28, 2006. Also, take a look at www.nola.com

These four homes are part of a string of eight that were swept off their foundations and stacked together like they are waiting to cross that street.

This is the only picture you'll see here that shows the damage from Katrina. You've probably seen plenty already and can find more by Googling. But the pictures can't replace the feeling of walking through these abandoned areas.

Katrina offered lots of themes for Mardi Gras costumes. Blue tarps cover lots of the homes still occupied in New Orleans. This Katrina survivor is dressed in a costume made of blue trap. Note the little babies on the roof next to the "SOS." Dangling from the corner is a "FEMA" trailer. Thousands of residents live in trailers next to their damaged homes.

When emergency workers searched homes, they spray painted them with the date and other info like you see on the costumes at the right.

Despite Katrina, New Orleans remains an optimistic town. We try to focus on the fun stuff at BOSCO'S so let's finish this with a photo gallery that any BOSCO'S customer can relate to!

At Mardi Gras parades, the crowds beg for beads and doubloons by yelling "Throw me somethin' Mister!" We're begging for the artists in New Orleans!

Throw me something Mister!