Posted: January 25, 2006

Athletics: MarathonFoto Donates Proceeds to Mardi-Gras Marathon in Support of Katrina Relief

(Fairfield, IA)- MarathonFoto, the leading running photography business in the U.S., announces their collaborative relief efforts with the Mardi-Gras Marathon, to be held in New Orleans on February 5, 2006.

Building on its´ past services to the event, MarathonFoto looks to further contribute to the running community by donating all net proceeds from the Mardi-Gras Marathon photo sales to Katrina relief efforts. "We have been doing running events in New Orleans for the past quarter century. New Orleans, its´ runners, and the entire community have always welcomed us. Now we want to do something good for them," remarks Bruce Franke, Executive Vice President of MarathonFoto.

The Mardi-Gras Marathon will be the first major athletic event in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina. Not only does the MarathonFoto family care for this running community, but company Executives hold personal ties to the city, its´ crisis and restoring efforts. "I saw and felt the impact of this disaster first hand," comments Brenda Narducci, Co-Owner of MarathonFoto, "my mother, Ruby LeBlanc, had to relocate to the Midwest for a substantial period of time and live with us while her damaged home was repaired. Experiencing all of this made me realize how great the need was and why we should all pitch in."

The Mardi-Gras Marathon is expecting between 3,000-3,500 participants this year. Chairman, Chuck George, is pleased with the increasing registration numbers following erroneous reports stating the race was cancelled. The race is known for its astounding finish line inside the Superdome, which will not be possible this year. However, due to many of the already established relief efforts, George is optimistic that finishing outside the Superdome will still be possible. George also added, "On behalf of the event, the New Orleans Track Club, and the southern Mississippi running community, we´re grateful for this unprecedented move by MarathonFoto and its´ generous contribution. We hope others will follow in their footsteps by continuing to bring awareness to the running community of the needs in New Orleans."

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