Franklin Graham to Follow Largest Festival with New Orleans 'Celebration'
Tuesday, Mar. 7, 2006 Posted: 4:27:43PM EST

After visiting the U.S. Gulf Coast five times in relief efforts since Hurricane Katrina's landfall last year, evangelist Franklin Graham will be providing a spiritual anchor of hope for the storm victims this weekend.

Picking up the pace after his father Billy Graham said farewell at his final evangelistic crusade in New York, Franklin is making no pause this year to spread the message of hope. Just coming out of his first major festival in Asia, Franklin Graham is now headed to the New Orleans Arena where thousands of the Katrina-affected population will attend the Celebration of Hope on Mar. 11-12.

An added word of encouragement will also come from 87-year-old Billy Graham, if health permits, for those in the Gulf States.

More than 215 churches, many of which have opened their doors to provide relief and support, have joined in a larger effort to offer the acceptance of Jesus Christ to the tens of thousands who have lost virtually everything.

The New Orleans festival follows Franklin Graham's largest festival ever in Manila, Philippines this past month. At least 317,600 people attended the Metro Manila Franklin Graham Festival. Although the Asian land was familiar to the evangelist who has done continuous aid work with the evangelical aid organization Samaritan's Purse, it was Graham's first evangelistic event in Asia. The rest