Friday Night Before Mardi Gras

A b o u t FNBMG

FNBMG was established in 2000 and is chartered as a 501(c)(3) organization under

U.S. Federal rules andas a domestic non-profit organization within the State of Louisiana.

FNBMG is devoted to raising monies for HIV & AIDS related charities.
All donations are tax deductible.

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Board of Directors

P r e s i d e n t	Billy Henry
V i c e P r e s i d e n t	Edwin Potratz Chapman
T r e a s u r e r	Christian Rountree
S e c r e t a r y	Marshall Fisher
F i n a n c i a l A d v i s or	Ron Issler
L e g a l A d v i s o r	Glenn Reames
A r t i s t	Bob White
B o a r d M e m b e r	Larry Anderson
B o a r d M e m b e r	Lydia Desoto
B o a r d M e m b e r	Larry Gumpert
B o a r d M e m b e r	Craig Henry
B o a r d M e m b e r	Ron Hill
B o a r d M e m b e r	Ron Issler
B o a r d M e m b e r	Judy Kossover
B o a r d M e m b e r	Mel Kossover
B o a r d M e m b e r	Michael Lawrence
B o a r d M e m b e r	Ivan Sherman
B o a r d M e m b e r	Michael Stoehr
B o a r d M e m b e r	Louis Wagenhauser
B o a r d M e m b e r	David Wood

H i s t o r y

A SHORT HISTORY OF FRIDAY NIGHT BEFORE MARDI GRAS (FNBMG)

"Vendredi de Nuit Mardi Gras Avant"

Friday Night Before Mardi Gras (FNBMG) came to life 27 years ago, during Mardi Gras 1985, when Dr. David Wood and Dr. Ivan Sherman invited friends into their home on the Friday night just before Mardi Gras. Their guests, already in a festive mood for Carnival frivolity, arrived unexpectedly in wigs and the tradition was born!

The party grew annually and became known as the “Friday Night Before Mardi Gras Bash”. Ivan and David never sent invitations and welcomed all who appeared at their door. By 1999, the attendance had grown to 350 wildly costumed partygoers.

In 2000, Billy Henry and Ed Potratz spoke with Ivan about making the next FNBMG bash an annual fund-raising event for HIV and AIDS charities. Ivan agreed. Larry Anderson, Peter Braswell, John Chatterton, Craig Henry, Henry LaRoche, Glenn Reames, Amy Reimer and Carl Ricketts agreed to join the Board of Directors to spearhead the event. FNBMG was briefly renamed “Vendredi de Nuit Mardi Gras Avant”, but proved too difficult to read, spell, pronounce or remember. But, it does remain FNBMG’s official name.

The first FNBMG party almost didn’t happen. Not until two weeks before Extravaganza I did invitation responses begin to pour in and Extravaganza I at The Carrollton was a success! The next five Extravaganzas continued on at The Carrollton and attendance steadily grew.

Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath flooded The Carrollton and FNBMG had no home, but Extravaganza VII shined at Sean Cumming’s grand Esplanade Avenue Mansion in 2006. Extravaganza VIII carried the tradition to the Elms Mansion & Extravaganza IX partied on at The Venusian Garden. Extravaganzas X (2009) & XI (2010) glittered at the Audubon Tea Room with the themes, “Divas at the Tea Room” and “Cirque du Sogay at the Tea Room”.

FNBMG is incorporated in the State of Louisiana and is officially recognized as a 501(c)(3) charity. FNBMG has donated more than $130,000 to New Orleans charities such as AIDS Law of Louisiana, Belle Reve, Buzzy’s Boys & Girls, NO/AIDS Task Force, PFLAG, Project Lazarus, the New Orleans Gay & Lesbian Community Center, the New Orleans AIDS Monument, the Forum for Equality Foundation and United Services for AIDS.

In March 2011, proceeds from Extravaganza XII “Going Mardi Gras GaGa at the Tea Room” will again be awarded to established AIDS and HIV charities.

FNBMG THANKS ALL OF ITS LOYAL SUPPORTERS FOR MAKING THIS HISTORY POSSIBLE