Fostering a guide to NOLA's fun

Robin Parry isn't the only Philadelphian who has been moved to help New Orleans culture get back on its feet.

John McInerney, the mind behind PhillyFunGuide and Funsavers discount Web programs, has helped the Arts Council of New Orleans launch a similar site, NOLAFunGuide.com.

The New Orleans site, which went online during Jazz Fest, is a comprehensive online entertainment calendar and weekly half-price ticket outlet that seeks to open access to the city's rebounding culture community.

A resident of New Orleans for 10 years before coming to Philadelphia as the director of marketing for the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, McInerney helped secure grants for NOLAFunGuide from Pew Charitable Trusts and the William Penn Foundation.

"Though the devastated down there are still struggling with basic necessities, it's culture that defines New Orleans," McInerney says. It's "exactly what Parry's out to save - the musicians, the high school bands, the clubs, the things that bring out the fans." - A.D. Amorosi