Annual Guardian Angel Award Gala

The Project Lazarus Annual Guardian Angel Award Gala is our special opportunity to celebrate the contributions of Project Lazarus’ most incredible friends and supporters. The spectacular event features a cocktail hour, an elegant three-course meal, an award ceremony, and a high-end live auction. This year, the event will be held on Friday, May 9th, 2025. Maryam Bahman and Jerry Q. Fredieu will serve as co-chairs.

This year’s Guardian Angel award recipients are: Lawrence Gobble, Dustin Woehrmann, and Mark McKeown (the 7th Pawell-Desrosiers recipient).

Bon Appétit

Bon Appétit is an annual event held in September of each year that raises funds to advance the Project Lazarus mission. To participate, all you have to do is host a party (any size), invite your friends, and ask them to make a monetary donation to Project Lazarus through a donation platform or Venmo. Hosts can throw any kind of party – from a backyard barbecue to a five-course formal dinner.

After dinner, Project Lazarus hosts an afterparty where all hosts and their guests are invited to enjoy desserts, champagne, and cocktails as well as toast the evening’s success in support of the work of Project Lazarus. We also invite those who are unable to host or attend a dinner party to join us at the after-party for a nominal fee of $50. For the last few years, the after-party has been held at Generations Hall in the Warehouse District and has been attended by at least 400 guests. During the Covid-years, we have had to cancel the after-party, but Bon Appétit has continued to thrive with Bon Appétit Chez Nous parties. Bon Appétit is chaired by Gary Schiro.

Board Members, committee members, and staff visit all parties to spread the mission of Project Lazarus and thank party hosts.

Halloween New Orleans

Halloween New Orleans has played a vital role in the history of Project Lazarus. Begun in 1983, Halloween New Orleans was established as a private nonprofit organization, with the sole purpose of raising funds to support the mission of Project Lazarus. To date, over $4.6 million has been raised by the dedicated members of Halloween New Orleans for Project Lazarus.

The four-day event includes the famous Lazarus Ball on Thursday night, a dance club night on Friday, the main costume party on Saturday night and a Sunday brunch and French Quarter second line parade. This weekend of fun was originally started as a dinner party given by a few people to honor their friends and loved ones who had died from AIDS and has become the single largest cumulative donor to Project Lazarus since the agency’s inception.

You can visit their website page at www.halloweenneworleans.com