I think now more than ever we need a reason to celebrate. It's really at our core. I can't imagine the city rolling over and playing dead and saying, 'I surrender.

All indicators were that the city just wouldn't be able to pull this off, even as recently as 24 hours ago. Somehow, they managed to pull a rabbit out of the hat.

We owe it to our ancestors and our children to keep this celebration going. We just can't stop. This is so important for us,

I think now more than ever we need a reason to celebrate. It's really at our core,

We cannot afford not to have Mardi Gras. That message would be -- New Orleans is closed for business.

We desperately need to let the world know we're alive and that we're open for business. We hope people see the devastation when they come, to better understand what we've been through.