The parade minus expenses raised $17,182.15 for Food For Friends this year. Over the past 9 years, the parade has raised over $80,825 for charity.

Presented by Ambush Mag, the parade passed by the majority of popular GLBT bars, restaurants, delis, and businesses in the Quarter including parade sponsor Starlight By The Park, parade sponsor Rawhide, parade sponsor Good Friends Bar, Bourbon Pub, Napoleon's Itch, parade sponsor Oz, parade sponsor Cafe Lafitte in Exile, parade sponsor Clover Grill, parade sponsor Quartermaster: The Nellie Deli, Tubby's Golden Lantern, Mona Lisa, Verti Mart, FiFi Mahoneys, Rab Dab, Cafe Amelie, La Mina Sterling, Le Roundup, parade sponsor Double Play, parade sponsor Corner Pocket, parade sponsor Society Page, and parade sponsor 700 Club.

The colorful and elegant parade threw thousands of bunnies, candy and beads to the huge appreciative crowds.

Parade participants included: Easter Grand Marshals XI Chuck Turner & Tittie Toulouse; EGM VIII Rona Conners & Bob Boler; EGM VII Opal Masters & Darwin Reed; EGMs I Rip & Marsha Naquin-Delain; Miss LSGRA Elizabeth Bouvier/FourPlay; JohnPaul's; Queen Amon-Ra XLIV Rhonda & David Roget; Double Play, 4 Seasons & Billy's; Society Page; NO/AIDS Task Force; Bebe Scarpinato; EGM VIII Michael Elias/Corner Pocket; 700 Club; Kurt Goodman; EGM IX Safonda Peters & Stuart Nettles; Zsa Zsa D'LaHor; EGM X Tony Leggio; Lords of Leather; Krewe of Petronius 50; Kajun's Pub/Bunny Marshals; Tubby's Golden Lantern; King & Queen Amon-Ra XLV David Aranda & Countess C. Alice; Food For Friends; Darrell K. Sims/People of Substance; Bobby Wagstaff/King Krewe of Mwindo; Justin Donnaud; Bruce Orgeron/Krewe of Armeinius; Tyriq Davenport Kennedy; Rosario D'Amico/Krewe of Armeinius; Joseph McCrory/Krewe of Mwindo; and Starlight By The Park.

Special thanks to all sponsors of the Gay Easter Parade including:

$1,000-Platinum: Elizabeth Bouvier/FourPlay, John Vignone & Paul Chiriaco/JohnPaul's Bar;

$500-Gold: Queen Amon-Ra XLIV Rhonda & David Roget, Lord King XVI Gary Vandeventer & Lord Consort XVII Tim Lott, Miseal Rubio/Quartermaster: The Nellie Deli, Krewe of Amon-Ra;

$250-Silver: King & Queen Amon-Ra XLV David Aranda & Daryl Dunaway Jr., EGM IX Safonda Peters & Stuart Nettles, EGM VIII Tom "Rona" Conners & Bob Boler, King Cake Queen XVII & EGM VII Opal Masters & Darwin Reed, EGM IX Orlando Aloe/Society Page; Wood Enterprises, Oz New Orleans, EGM VIII Michael Elias & Jay Sewell/The Corner Pocket, Mike Cookmeyer & Matt Giglio/700 Club, Krewe of Petronius, Celebrating Chuck & Bill's 39th Anniversary/Friends of The Purple Party;

$100-Bronze: EGM X Tony Leggio, Dwain Hertz & Al Dugas, Glenn O'Berry & Roger Copenhaver, Starr Daniels & Justin Moffatt, Jay Cooper & Gizelle Bouvier, Saints & Sinners Literary Festival, Bruce Orgeron/Krewe of Armeinius, King Amon-Ra XLIV Nick Olivares & Roy Smith, KCQ XVI Tami Tarmac & King Amon-Ra XLIII Paul Davis, Lee Worrells, J.E. Bourgoyne & Jay Tyburski/Bourgoyne Guest House; and

Venue/In-Kind: 4 Seasons, 700 Club, Billy's, Bywater Patio Bar, Double Play, JohnPaul's, Starlight By The Park.

Parade Revenues include:
$7,850-Sponsors
$1,808-2nd Eggstravaganza
$2,200-8th Spring Fever
$3,257-9th Drag Extravaganza
$3,522-11th Purple Party
$5,270-1st Bunnies in the Big Easy
$250-Vehicle Entry Fees
$20-Parade Day Donation/Todd Blauvelt
$50-Donation/Bon Maison Guest House
$24,227-Total Revenue

Parade Expenses include:
$40-EGM Pins
$780-EGM Carriages
$389.60-Entertainer/EGM Shuttle/Eggstravaganza
$100-Drag Extravaganza DJ
$1,875-Bands
$1,500-Insurance
$50.25-Parade Permit
$1,050-Parade Police Detail
$1,260-Food, Staff, Underwear/Bunnies in the Big Easy
$7,044.85 Total Expenses

The Board of Directors of the Gay Easter Parade includes Electra City, Tom "Rona" Conners, Tony Leggio, Opal Masters, Rip and Marsha Naquin-Delain, and Tittie Toulouse.

Past Grand Marshals include EGMs I Rip and Marsha Naquin-Delain, EGMs II Larry Bagneris and the late Miss Do Moreland, EGMs III Timm Holt and Teryl-Lynn Foxx, EGMs IV George Simons and Electra City, EGMs V Brett Messmer and Princesse Stephaney, EGMs VI James Swire and Lisa Beaumann, EGMs VII Doc Reed and Opal Masters. EGMs VIII Michael Elias and Tom "Rona" Conners, EGMs IX Orlando Aloe and Safonda Peters, and EGMs X Tony Leggio and Marcy Marcell.

Purple Party Raises $3,522 for GEP, Food For Friends

Guests enjoyed the lavish buffet while mingling with all the celebrities in attendance.

The auctions went extremely well with the Carousel Egg fetching $700 from EGM XI Chuck Turner, the Mermaid Egg $350 from Petronius Captain Bill McCarthy, Massage $225 from Ronald Buras, Chocolate Basket $225 from Lord King XVI Gary Vandeventer, and the Purple Bunnies $200 from EGMs I Rip and Marsha Naquin-Delain. The door brought in $615, egg raffles $444, and raffle tickets $413. A $250 Silver sponsorship was raised from party goers in honor of Chuck and Bill's 39th Anniversary, and a $100 Bronze sponsorship came in from Lee Worrells. Many thanks to all who helped and supported this event.

Bunnies in the Big Easy Raises $5,270 for GEP/Food For Friends

Easter Grand Marshals XI Chuck Turner and Tittie Toulouse were presented "official" proclamations from the Mayor of the City of New Orleans by Human Relations Chair and Easter Grand Marshal II Larry Bagneris. The wonderful live auction brought in $150 for the Bryce Landry Bad Bunny painting from Queen Satyricon VII Wedon Brown, $75 for the Ashton Drake Doll from Petronius Captain Bill McCarthy, $150 for the Bill McCarthy Easter Basket from Lee Worrells, $350 for the Big Basket from Friday Night Before Mardi Gras' Ed Chapman which he donated back for reauction, $300 for the Big Basket reauction from Mwindo's Larry Jones, and $350 for the Jewel Egg from EGM XI Chuck Turner.

One of the highlights of the evening had to be the live auction of hot model's underwear in the Secret Garden including $150 for model Cage's underwear from EGM XI Chuck Turner, $300 for model Jason's underwear from Miss LSGRA Elizabeth Bouvier and $300 for model Chase's underwear from EGM X Tony Leggio's Mom Dawn Leggio.

The event also brought in $2,850 from 95 event tickets, $245 in egg raffles, and a $50 donation from Michael Sullivan in memory of John St. Clair.

Guests enjoyed a scrumptious buffet and limited open bar offering vodka cocktails, beer and wine. DJ Buckley featured fierce dance tunes under the stars in the Secret Garden. Thanks to all who made this such a success.

A pair of giant Easter Bunnies beautifully dressed also donated by Conners brought in $500 at auction from John Vignone and Paul Chiriaco.

The Grand Easter Basket auction worth over $1,000 in prizes raised $550 from Elizabeth Bouvier. It included an Ambush full page black and white ad worth $445; Oz VIP Pass with admittance throughout 2010 worth $200; Silver Demitasse Set of 6 donated by Tom "Rona" Conners; Fleur de Lis Pitcher & Saucer, and 4 hand painted Wine Glasses donated by Rip and Marsha Naquin-Delain; bottle Bailey's Caramel Irish Cream & Parrot Bay Coconut Rum donated by 700 Club; bottle Grey Goose Pear Vodka, Patron Citronge, Patron XO Cafe Liqueur and Parma Pomegranite Liqueur donated by Cafe Lafitte's, Clover Grill, Good Friends & Rawhide; bottle of Freixenet Champagne & Tango de Mendoza Red Wine donated by Tom "Rona" Conners; bottle Bushmills Irish Whiskey & $30 Bar Tab donated by The Corner Pocket; $25 Bar Tab donated by Society Page, and $25 Bar Tab donated by Tubby's Golden Lantern.

The door brought in $445, stage performance tips $532, a $200 donation by Rip and Marsha Naquin-Delain, and a $30 donation by Darwin Reed and Opal Masters.

Honoring Easter Grand Marshals XI Chuck Turner and Tittie Toulouse, the extravaganza was emceed by Miss Gay America '06 Nicole Du'Bois, EGM X Tony Leggio, and EGM VII and King Cake Queen XVII Opal Masters. The star studded lineup included a rare performance by EGM I Marsha Naquin-Delain, along with performances by EGM IV Electra City, EGM V Princesse Stephaney, EGM IX Safonda Peters, EGM X Marcy Marcell, EGM XI Tittie Toulouse, KCQ XIII Raven Kennedy, KCQ XVI Tami Tarmac, EGM VI Lisa Beaumann, Queen Amon-Ra XLV Countess C. Alice, Miss LSGRA Elizabeth Bouvier, Miss Elysian Fields Barbara Ella, Bronze Sponsor Starr Daniels, and Bronze Sponsor Jay Cooper and Gizelle Bouvier.

The 8th annual Spring Fever: A Star Studded Benefit Gala & Auction (500 Years of Drag Celebrating Tittie’s 50th Birthday) was hosted at 4 Seasons in Metairie on March 13. Under the direction of Gay Easter Parade Boards Electra City and Tittie Toulouse, the event raised $2,200 for the 11th Gay Easter Parade benefiting Food For Friends