the book were later used to buy a gravestone for Isentrout's unmarked grave at Hebrew Rest No. 3 Cemetery in New Orleans. When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in August 2005, a levee collapsed near the warehouse where Mr. Bingle was stored, and the neighboring buildings were destroyed but Mr. Bingle survived. Spurred by this discovery, funds were raised to refurbish the display and it became a centerpiece of the Christmas 2005 "Celebration in the Oaks" light display at New Orleans City Park. Outside of New Orleans Mr. Bingle also appeared in Memphis, Tennessee, at the department store Lowenstein's, which was also owned by Mercantile Stores Mercantile acquired MB a few years before itself being acquired by Dillard's. The Mercantile chain used Mr. Bingle in Christmas advertising nationwide at various regional department stores owned by Mercantile. As of November 2014, Mr. Bingle merchandise was still widely available. Legacy Mr. Bingle continues to be incredibly popular in New Orleans and across Louisiana, even beyond Christmastime, with a dedicated community of followers who buy and resell his merchandise. The character of Mr. Bingle would also make appearances outside of the commercial setting for charitable purposes, visiting sick children at the Children's Hospital of New Orleans and even visiting the White House. See also Al Shea Companions of Saint Nicholas References Further reading Saving Mr. Bingle, by Sean Patrick Doles, New Orleans Stories, 2004. (A work of fiction.) Canal Street: New Orleans' Great Wide Way, by Peggy Scott Laborde & John Magill, Pelican Publishing Company, 2006. New Orleans Television, by Dominic Massa, Arcadia Publishing, 2008. Maison Blanche Department Stores, by Edward J. Branley, Arcadia Publishing, 2011. Christmas characters Culture of New Orleans Santa's helpers