Galatoire Foundation 13th Annual Mardi Gras Auction Raises $148,000 for Local Nonprofits

NEW ORLEANS – The Galatoire Foundation raised $148,000 at its annual Mardi Gras Auction, held on Monday, Feb. 4, in the famed Galatoire’s first floor dining room. There were 77 paddles sold for this year’s Mardi Gras Auction where the largest bid of the night rang in at $13,000 for the only table of 12 in the restaurant. Together, this season’s Christmas Auction and Mardi Gras Auctions raised more than $200,000 benefiting local organizations. Details were shared in a press release.

This year’s table auctions benefited the Galatoire Foundation, which has been dedicated to giving back to the New Orleans community and region that has patronized Galatoire’s for generations; VIA Link, an organization that provides information, referrals, training and crisis intervention to people in the Greater New Orleans Area for those who are homeless, hungry, depressed or suicidal; and The New Orleans Police & Justice Foundation, whose mission is to promote excellence in policing, efficiency in criminal justice and positive community engagement. From personal protective gear to horses and canines, they provide officers with the equipment and supplies they need to keep New Orleans safe.

For years, the Galatoire Foundation has raised millions for charities in Louisiana. By bidding on tables to reserve for the Friday before Mardi Gras, guests at the Mardi Gras Auction contributed to the effort of raising funds for the chosen nonprofits. Monday night’s event included an exciting evening of competitive bidding, signature Galatoire’s hors d’oeuvres like, soufflé potatoes, foie gras, deviled eggs with caviar, boudin balls, Chef Lopez’s famed steak tartare and complimentary champagne.

Since the inception of its now-famous holiday table auctions in 2006, all proceeds collected have benefitted nearly two dozen New Orleans-area charitable organizations, from neighborhood rebuilding projects and crime prevention to youth programs and entrepreneurship efforts.

Created in 2010, the Galatoire Foundation establishes a framework for the restaurant’s numerous community activities and donations.