"VOLUNTEERISM and CITIZEN SERVICE must lead Louisiana's recovery effort." -Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu The Louisiana Serve Commission is pleased to announce Volunteer Louisiana, a website and call center that matches volunteers with service opportunities throughout the state. Visit www.volunteerlouisiana.gov or call 866-286-3835 or 225-342-3070 to find out how you can begin a summer of service.

Impact - Louisiana State Parks Visitor spending at Louisiana State Parks returns $3.23 in state taxes for every dollar spend on operating and maintaining all our beautiful parks. Out-of-state visitors to Louisiana State Parks spent almost $12 million in Louisiana and produced an economic impact of over $24 million. Louisiana residents spend another $29.2 million while visitin... Learn More >>

Thursday, February 16, 2009

CONTACT:
Denise Quezaire
(225) 342-0958
dquezaire@crt.state.la.us

The broadcasts will take place from 5-9 a.m. (CST) on Lundi Gras and Mardi Gras, February 23 and 24, at the W New Orleans Hotel at 333 Poydras Street. Seating is first-come/first-serve, and doors open to the public at 4:30 a.m.

"Steve Harvey has been a great partner for Louisiana. We've hosted Steve and his show in New Orleans and in Shreveport, and to have him here for Mardi Gras is tremendous," said Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu. "There's no better time to show the rest of the country that Louisiana is ready to offer visitors a rich and authentic experience that can't be replicated anywhere else in the world."

In addition to arranging for the live shows, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism are offering a free trip for two to Louisiana, which will be promoted both on the air and on Steve Harvey's website, www.steveharvey.com. The trip winner will be announced during the Mardi Gras Day broadcast.

"These broadcasts and this promotion will help us generate excitement about the upcoming ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL in July, Louisiana's African American Heritage Trail and the many cultural assets that make our state such a popular destination for African Americans," said Pam Breaux, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.

The Steve Harvey Morning Show is nationally syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks and reaches approximately 6 million listeners each day on Urban and Urban Adult Contemporary stations. The show can be heard in New Orleans on WQUE 93.3 FM weekdays from 5 to 9 a.m. It is also broadcast in more than 60 markets including Atlanta, Dallas, Birmingham, D.C., St. Louis and New York.

For more information on the upcoming broadcasts or the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism's "My Louisiana" marketing campaign, contact Denise Quezaire at 225-342-0958 (dquezaire@crt.state.la.us) or Glenda English at 504-915-1552 (glenda@gmcadvertising.com).