Title: ELCA Youth Gathering Has Effect on New Orleans ELCA NEWS SERVICE NEWS BRIEF August 8, 1997 YOUTH GATHERING HAS EFFECT ON NEW ORLEANS Thirty-five thousand members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America seem to have left a very positive impression on New Orleans. The ELCA Youth Gathering was held July 23-27, with pre-gathering events beginning July 20. The 28,400 high-school-age Lutherans and 6,900 adults used facilities ranging from the Louisiana Superdome and several riverboats to the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and 41 hotels. "The city of New Orleans benefited from approximately $32,400,000 spent on hotels, food, retail, recreation and transportation," said Tamara North, convention sales manager, New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau. "In addition to the economic impact, the youth gave something even more valuable to the city that cannot be measured," North added. "Through their enthusiasm, goodwill and considerate attitudes, they left a lasting impression and renewed appreciation with our local community." Thousands of the youth took part in "servant events," working long hours in Louisiana heat and humidity, on three of their five days in New Orleans. They took on a variety of clean-up projects in the city's Desire, Florida and Algiers Point neighborhoods -- sweeping sidewalks in public housing, shoveling debris from vacant lots, painting over graffiti, clearing drains and gutters for elderly residents, digging community gardens and picking up litter around school buildings. The young Lutherans brought 25 tons of non-perishable food items for Second Harvest Food Bank, New Orleans, which collects and distributes food worldwide. They also dropped more than $325,000 in collection plates to benefit ministries around the world. For information contact: Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html