"I'm not sure there would be a ‘Girls Gone Wild’ without New Orleans, so it's only fair that we show our support with both our presence and our financial commitment to helping New Orleans rebuild,” Mantra CEO Joe Francis said in a statement.
Mantra got its start with the “Girls Gone Wild” series in New Orleans eight years ago, and Francis said that “this year Katrina wasn't going to keep us away.”
Last year, “Girls Gone Wild” donated all of its revenues from previous Mardi Gras videos to the Red Cross for its relief efforts.
The “Girls Gone Wild” Mardi Gras Party will be held at the Frat House (241 Bourbon St.) on Friday through Sunday. A portion of the proceeds from this event will benefit Hurricane Katrina relief.
Spokesman Bill Horn told XBiz that he expects big crowds in New Orleans this year despite September’s disastrous hurricane.
“Hey, it’s Mardi Gras time,” Horn said. “We’ll be filming at the Frat House, which is a new bar, and out on the streets.”