New York Based Mardi Gras Party Teams With New Orleans Music and Culture Non-Profit Organization

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Party Impressario and Featured Actor, Toshi, Strikes a Chord With The Tipitina's Foundation

NEW YORK, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 02/02/2006 -- All rodent shadows aside, Toshi Films, Inc. -- the organization behind the internationally recognized Toshi Parties -- today announced that 10% of their online credit card transactions in February will be donated to The Tipitina's Foundation, which is dedicated to restoring and preserving the musical culture of New Orleans. The Toshi Mardi Gras party will be held at NYC's Puck Building on Friday, February 10th from 9pm to 3am -- a couple weeks before the New Orleans festivities in order to pay respect as awareness to the great tragedy of Hurricane Katrina.

The Tipitina's Foundation, which works closely with the Harry Connick, Jr. and Branford Marsalis organization, Musician's Village, which is backed by Habitat For Humanity, provides new musical instruments to Southeast Louisiana public middle and high schools and is a catalyst for raising awareness of public music education. Public/Charter school music and band programs prior to Hurricane Katrina (and certainly post-Katrina) are totally without funding. Many of the 11 schools and 800 students that received musical instruments valued at over $300,000 from this foundation, suffered extreme loss from floodwaters. The vast majority of the students who were served by this program came from low-income, single-parent, African-American families.

Toshi, who is known for his frequent roles on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and later this year will be featured in the Martin Scorsese-directed film "The Departed" (Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg and Jack Nicholson), is known internationally for the cultural theme parties that he spearheads (five in the USA and two in Europe). The lavish parties (New Year's Eve, Halloween, Mardi Gras, St. Patrick's Day and the Swedish Mid-Summer) are held at NYC's legendary Puck Building (295 Lafayette Street & Houston Street) and all have creative and well-developed themes that bring in between 5,000-7,500 people of all ages, ethnicities, races and creeds.

"We've been throwing unusual theme parties, such as OcToshiFest, The Wigstock Party, The Gatsby Party and The Tacky Prom Party, for the past fifteen years," exclaims Toshi. "Because we work with amazing sponsors, like Boru Vodka, Red Bull, Bud Light, Nibus Clothing and Bacardi Silver, the parties offer interesting additions. However, it always comes back to the music, and our bands are always fantastic. That's why we felt so strongly about donating to The Tipitina's Foundation. Their work with students is second to none and they are a fabulous organization."

"We are extremely thrilled to work with Toshi Films and believe that they've tapped into the New Orleans feel," said Carol G. Asher, Executive Director of The Tipitina's Foundation. "We are in the forefront of insuring that music programs are available in public and charter schools. Our programs, such as Instruments A Comin', have greatly benefited students in the New Orleans area who certainly need our assistance."

For more information on Toshi Films, Inc., visit: http://www.toshiparty.com

For more information on The Tipitina's Foundation, visit: http://www.tipitinasfoundation.org

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