2014 Theme:
An invitation was extended to animal lovers throughout the area to join the fun and festivities of the 20th annual Mardi Paws
Celebration to be held on the Mandeville Lakefront on Sunday, March 9th, 2014. Noted carnival historian, Arthur Hardy, gives us credit for being the only krewe to parade after Fat Tuesday, thus avoiding any competition!
The Mardi Gras "Walking Parade" features hundreds of canines and their companions in costume. Last year's event once again proved to be a highlight of the carnival season for adults and children alike. Join the thousands of attendees that come out to the
Mandeville Lakefront to experience a fun-filled family event that puts a smile on everyone’s face.
Guaranteed to be THE Red Carpet Event of the season, please join us and support three of the Northshore’s non-profits aimed at helping kids and K-9’s alike! Have a Heart thru Art, Scott’s Wish & The St. Tammany Spay/Neuter Program serve underprivileged and disabled children and animals throughout St. Tammany Parish.
It’s easy to explore this year’s theme, just channel your favorite award show’s best, worst, or just plain tragic red carpet moments!
The Oscars, The Emmys, The MTV Awards, The Grammy Awards, The ESPY’S, The BET Awards, People’s Choice, Kid’s Choice - you get the idea. No matter the celebrity, everyone has a moment or two that’s made them the talk of the Catwalk Queen - unforgettable quotes or looks that stole the show!
Have a favorite awards show winner? Celebrate your favorite movie and cast, or awards show performer! We’re looking for glitz and glamour, hits and misses, and not quite ready for primetime performances - at our 20th year celebration. Remember, it’s
Mardi Gras – Anything Goes!
Visit our Costume Contest page on www.MardiPaws.com for all the great prizes you can win in addition to the coveted "poop" trophy by local artist Ted Pullig of Zorro's FUNzone in Mandeville. In honor of our 20th year celebration, Ted will be unleashing
“Solid Gold” Poop Trophies - guaranteed to be the envy of your neighbors. Will you be one of the lucky few to bring home the coveted trophy this year?
The parade will roll on the Mandeville Lakefront promptly at 2:00pm with same-day registration taking place at the Mandeville
Harbor at 12:30pm. The Reviewing Stand is near the Gazebo at the end of Lafitte Street. This is where the coronation will be officiated, and the ceremonial toast with Red Dog Beer occurs.
A Post-Parade Extravaganza will take place on the Lakefront at the parade's end featuring food, fun, music and booths.
The theme throws this year will include the special, rare, gold dog dropping given out by the royals, the purple dog droppings thrown by past royalty, and this year a limited number of special beads will be unleashed. Stuffed animals (almost always cats), beads, cups and doubloons will also be thrown.
For registration forms, more information or directions, please call Have a Heart thru Art @ 985-892-0060 or the St. Tammany
Tourist Office at 1-800-634-9443. Rain date: Sunday, March 16th, 2014
Have a Heart thru Art is an IRS recognized 501c3 non-profit organization. Donations are tax-deductible.

th
The Mystic Krewe of Mardi Paws is a Mardi Gras walking parade featuring hundreds of canines and their companions in costume, with thousands of spectators lining the parade route along the Mandeville Lakefront.
The parade serves as a major fundraiser for three Northshore non-profits which are comprised of all volunteers trying to make a difference in their community: Scott’s Wish aids people suffering from leukemia and other devastating illnesses; Have a Heart thru Art is made up of community leaders who provide access to the arts for underprivileged and disabled children; and The St. Tammany Spay & Neuter Program provides low cost spay/neutering services for rescues and low-income households.
In celebration of our 20 th year, the 2014 parade will roll to the theme, LIVE FROM THE RED CarPET! Guaranteed to be
THE Red Carpet Event of the season, please join us and support the non-profits aimed at helping kids and K-9’s alike!
Krewe members will be channeling their favorite award show’s best, worst, or just plain tragic red carpet moments!
We’re looking for glitz and glamour, hits and misses, and not quite ready for primetime performances - Remember, it’s
Mardi Gras – Anything Goes!
Approximately 350-400 canines participate, with hundreds of other pooches relegated to the sidelines because their owners don’t feel they’re well behaved enough to parade. The parade route is just under a mile in length, and has over
15,000 spectators that line the route from start to finish. The Mandeville Lakefront is on the north shore of Lake
Pontchartrain, just across the Causeway Bridge from New Orleans, Louisiana. Parade registration begins at noon and the parade rolls promptly at 2pm.
Reigning as our 2014 Grand Marshal is Emily Whitehead from Philipsburg, Pennsylvania. Recently named one of
WebMD’s Health Heroes for 2013, the award celebrates those who have met a health challenge and are giving back to others in an inspiring way. Emily was close to death from leukemia when Dr. Stephan Grupp of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia genetically engineered her own infection-fighting cells to fight her cancer, the first child to ever receive this treatment. Emily’s story has been featured on nightly news programs and 60 minutes Australia. Now in remission,
Emily and her family have traveled to Washington, D.C. with her oncologists to urge legislators to fund T-cell and other pediatric cancer research. She also finds the time to share her story and inspire others who are battling childhood diseases. Emily’s love for her dog Lucy was a source of comfort and love during her battle against ALL, and Mardi Paws has always showcased the incredible bond between canines and their companions.
Please join us in welcoming the Whiteheads to a northshore Mardi Gras tradition – The Mystic Krewe of Mardi Paws!
CONTACT: Denise Gutnisky, President Have a Heart thru Art
Cell (985) 502-2882 Office: (985) 892-0060 DeniseG1@bellsouth.net

Emily with her dog Lucy
Emily Whitehead has an incredible story.
She is beautiful and brave and her story is one of hope and promise in the fight against childhood cancer. Diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in May 2010 when she was 5 years old, doctors thought she’d have an 85-90% chance of being cured. Sadly, she relapsed two times before she could get her bone marrow transplant, and doctors were unable to get her back into remission. At that point, doctors said she would not get better with chemotherapy, and in April 2012 she was enrolled into a phase I clinical trial at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. It was highly experimental and she was the first pediatric patient to receive genetically modified T-cells to help fight her leukemia. Miraculously, although touch and go at first when she went into respiratory distress and was put into an induced coma, she came out of the coma and continued to get better.
This inspiring little girl has spent a large amount of time in the hospital but continues to give hope to other kids fighting cancer with her amazing attitude towards her illness. We are happy to report that 19 months after receiving her reengineered T cells, 8year-old Emily remains in remission. She's now in third grade, and living a normal life. She loves reading, writing, crafts, music, and walking her dog Lucy. When she grows up she would like to be a veterinarian, teacher, and artist. Emma and Lucy are excited to be reigning for the 2014 parade!
A new way to treat leukemia . A pioneer in pediatric cancer research.
In certain cancers, including the type of ALL that Emily was battling, a subset of cells in the immune system become leukemia.
These are called B cells. Another set of cells in the immune system, called T cells, normally recognize and attack invading disease.
But in cancers like ALL, the abnormal leukemia cells fly under the radar of the normal T cells that are meant to kill them. At the time Emily’s family was considering CTL019, several adult patients had already been enrolled in the study at the Hospital of the
University of Pennsylvania and had responded well. After several conversations with Dr. Rheingold and Stephan Grupp, MD, PhD , the oncologist leading the CTL019 study at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), the family decided to take the risks that come with experimental treatment, and enroll Emily in the trial. On April 17, 2012, Emily became the first pediatric patient to be treated with CTL019.
Looking forward…
Emily benefited significantly from the T cell therapy in a circumstance where there was no other treatment that had any possibility of controlling her disease. But it’s not yet time to call CTL019 a magic bullet. While the results in Emily and other
CTL019 patients are encouraging, many more patients must be treated before scientists will know whether it is a viable, safe, long-term solution for controlling B cell cancers in children and adults.
To learn more about the Dr. Grupp’s study and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, please visit… http://www.chop.edu/service/oncology/patient-stories-cancer/leukemia-story-emily.html
This is a short film by Academy Award winning director Ross Kauffman about the clinical trial and Emily's story: http://focusforwardfilms.com/films/72/fire-with-fire
Learn more about Emily’s Story: www.EmilyWhitehead.com
or on Facebook at: www.Facebook.com/EmilyBrookeWhitehead
Contact:
Rachel Salis-Sliverman, Senior Public Relations Specialist CHOP - Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia salis@email.chop.edu
(267) 426-6063

Press Release
February 14, 2014 – For Immediate Release
Contact for Mardi Paws: Denise Gutnisky Cell 985.502.2882 DeniseG1@bellsouth.net
Contact for Ian Somerhalder Foundation: Lisa Amend Lisa.Amend@ISFoundation.net
Ian Somerhalder Reigns as Celebrity Monarch of the Super Krewe for Canines!
The Mystic Krewe of Mardi Paws celebrates twenty this year, and rolls to the theme "Live from the Red CarPET!"
Recently seen on the red carpet as a People's Choice winner, Ian Somerhalder, was the perfect fit because of his dedication to helping our four legged friends. Originally from Covington Louisiana, Ian has gained fame through his movies and ongoing hit television series, The Vampire Diaries.
Not one to sit idly by, Ian decided to form a non-profit foundation in 2010 as a way of celebrating his birthday with others. The Ian
Somerhalder Foundation, aims to empower, educate and collaborate with people and projects to positively impact the planet and all of its creatures, and continues to launch bold initiatives each year. Initiatives like the ISF Emergency Medical Grant for Animals, a program that is near and dear to Ian’s heart and which helps both creatures in need and the rescuers who save their lives. The
Ian Somerhalder Foundation is a sponsor of this year's event on the Mandeville Lakefront. Captain Denise Gutnisky said " Ian's generosity lending a hand in his hometown should not be overlooked, it's very unusual for someone with his popularity and fame to give his time so freely to so many organizations."
Mardi Paws is a fundraiser for three volunteer non-profits aimed at helping kids and K-9's alike, Have a Heart thru Art; Scott's
Wish; and the St. Tammany Spay & Neuter Group.
To learn more about Ian's non-profit, please visit www.ISFoundation.com
.
For information about the Mystic Krewe of Mardi Paws Parade, log on to www.MardiPaws.com
.

Press Release
For Immediate Release – Feb. 17, 2014
Contact, Mardi Paws: Denise Gutnisky Cell 985.502.2882 DeniseG1@bellsouth.net
Contact, Ian Somerhalder Foundation: Lisa Amend Lisa.Amend@ISFoundation.net
Ian Somerhalder Reigns as Celebrity Monarch of Super Krewe for Canines!
The Mystic Krewe of Mardi Paws is a mardi gras walking parade featuring hundreds of canines and their companions in costume.
Celebrating 20 this year, the parade will roll to the theme, Live from the Red CarPET!, on Sunday, March 9th along the Mandeville
Lakefront on the northshore of New Orleans.
Recently seen on the red carpet as a People's Choice winner, Ian Somerhalder was the perfect fit according to Captain Denise
Gutnisky because of his dedication to helping our four legged friends . Originally from Covington Louisiana, Ian has gained fame through his movies and ongoing hit television series, The Vampire Diaries.
Not one to sit idly by, Ian decided to form a non-profit foundation in 2010 as a way of celebrating his birthday with others. The Ian
Somerhalder Foundation (ISF), aims to empower, educate and collaborate with people and projects to positively impact the planet and all of its creatures, and continues to launch bold initiatives each year. Their most recent initiative, the ISF Emergency Medical
Grant for Animals, is a program near and dear to Ian’s heart. The new ISF Emergency Medical Grant is for animal rescue organizations and individuals intending to help nurse injured, sick or neglected animals back to health.
The most common forms of companion animal abuse in the US are neglect and abandonment. In domestic violence incidents, 71 percent of victims report that their abuser also targeted their animal. Animals who suffer abuse endure pain, suffering and loneliness much like humans and may become depressed, timid or aggressive as a result. The medical costs associated with treating and rehabilitating an animal who has suffered physically or psychologically can be staggering, and ISF wants to help.
“I am so thrilled to launch our ISF Emergency Medical Care Grant for Animals,” says Ian Somerhalder, ISF co-founder and president. “There are too many lost, lonely and broken animals out there, and I cannot wait to see how many of these animals we can save through this grant.”
The Ian Somerhalder Foundation is a sponsor of this year's event on the Mandeville Lakefront. Captain Denise Gutnisky said “Ian’s generosity lending a hand in his hometown should not be overlooked; it's very unusual for someone with his popularity and fame to give his time so freely to so many organizations."
Somerhalder in return welcomes an opportunity to participate in an event showcasing local non-profits trying to make a difference in their community according to Kim Klinger, Executive Director of ISF.
Mardi Paws is a fundraiser for three volunteer non-profits aimed at helping kids and K-9's alike: The St. Tammany Spay & Neuter
Program provides low cost spay/neutering services for rescues and low-income households; Have a Heart thru Art is made up of community leaders who provide access to the arts for underprivileged and disabled children; and Scott’s Wish aids people suffering from leukemia and other devastating illnesses.
To learn more about Ian's non-profit, please visit www.ISFoundation.org .
For more information on the ISF Emergency Medical Care Grant for Animals, please visit http://www.isfoundation.com/ISFEmergencyMedicalGrant .
For information about the Mystic Krewe of Mardi Paws Parade, log on to www.MardiPaws.com
.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 14, 2014
Contact: Lisa Amend
PR and Marketing Manager lisa.amend@isfoundation.net
The Ian Somerhalder Foundation launches an emergency medical care grant for animals
(February 14, 2014)—The Ian Somerhalder Foundation (ISF) has created a new emergency medical grant for animal rescue organizations and individuals intending to help nurse injured, sick or neglected animals back to health.
The most common forms of companion animal abuse in the US are neglect and abandonment. In domestic violence incidents, 71 percent of victims report that their abuser also targeted their animal. Animals who suffer abuse endure pain, suffering and loneliness much like humans and may become depressed, timid or aggressive as a result.
The medical costs associated with treating and rehabilitating an animal who has suffered physically or psychologically can be staggering, and ISF is here to help.
The ISF Emergency Medical Care Grant for Animals provides financial assistance to animal welfare organizations, agencies, and in some cases individual rescuers, responsible for the care of animals recovering from abuse, neglect or injuries suffered from a traumatic event.
The purpose of this grant is to provide animal victims a second chance by alleviating their rescuers of the financial stress of treatment so they can focus on facilitating the animal's adoption into a permanent, loving home.
“I am so thrilled to launch our ISF Emergency Medical Care Grant for Animals,” says Ian Somerhalder, ISF co-founder and president.
“There are too many lost, lonely and broken animals out there, and I cannot wait to see how many of these animals we can save through this grant.”
Funds are available in the US and Canada throughout the calendar year with no grant application deadlines so that help is provided when it is most needed. Due to the overwhelming number of animal need cases, this grant can only be offered to a select number of recipients each year and will be awarded based on availability of grant funds, eligibility of the applicant and medical urgency.
For more information on the ISF Emergency Medical Care Grant for Animals, please visit http://www.isfoundation.com/ISFEmergencyMedicalGrant . To view the grant application, please visit http://www.isfoundation.com/isfemergencymedicalgrantanimalsapplication .
Founded by actor/activist Ian Somerhalder (Lost, The Vampire Diaries), the Ian Somerhalder Foundation (ISF) aims to educate, empower and collaborate with people and projects that positively impact the planet and its creatures. We are a team of individuals who view the environment as an interconnected organism of which we are not separate but a part. Therefore, we believe that our solutions to issues of sustainability and survivability must be enacted in an interconnected manner. For more information, please visit www.isfoundation.org
.