Results tagged “fundraiser”

It was just a few months ago when 6-year old Pablo Castelaz lost his battle with cancer, after treatment at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. 13 months before that, he was diagnosed, almost seemingly out of nowhere showing no warning signs prior, with bilateral Wilms’ Tumor, a rare form of children’s cancer.

Taking place this Friday at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre is Laughs for Bald Bryan, a night of top-notch comedy and some pretty great music. The special night is to benefit “Bald Bryan” Bishop, Adam Carolla’s former morning radio compliment, who, at 31, is battling an inoperable brain tumor.

                                   

Last Sunday the backlot of CBS Radford Studios in Studio City was filled with some of the biggest names...in food. The 23rd Annual Great Chefs of LA was indeed the promised food and drink filled afternoon of music, swag bags, and auctions, all to benefit the National Kidney Foundation of Southern California. Hosted by comedian and TV star George Lopez, the event drew some celebs (so we hear!) from entertainment and lots of food talent (so we ate!).

The upcoming holidays are about giving, and for many of us that means both giving gifts to our loved ones and to those in need. One way to help out in both areas comes via Chicago-based retailer CB2, who opened up a branch of their home decor store in a segment of the onetime Virgin Megastore space at 8000 Sunset this April.

Sounds like a tame enough idea: Print up some t-shirts with the school mascot running and make a slogan out of one of those 800 numbers that uses words instead of digits. Only one of the parents from Linda Vista Elementary School in Yorba Linda decided to give the presumably made-up number a whirl and found that number was something else entirely, according to the Pasadena Star-News...

“A worse thing couldn’t have happened to a better guy,” said Adam Carolla of 31 year-old “Bald” Bryan Bishop’s inoperable brain tumor. “He’s one of the sharpest, brightest, smartest, nicest guys I’ve ever met.”

Put those running shoes on for Halloween and dress up like a zombie this Saturday for the inaugural Zombiethon, a fundraiser for brain cancer research Oct. 31 from 4-6 pm at the Silver Lake reservoir. The family friendly event includes a fun run/walk around the reservoir and a zombie costume contest.

       

On Saturday, Los Angeles-based pet products company Dogswell was one of the sponsors behind the Homeward Hound Hike, a benefit event held in Griffith Park to raise money for Friends of Animals. The organization is a no-kill dog and cat shelter that has been around since 1983. They are a volunteer-only group who rely on private donations for support, and who focus on helping as many animals as they possibly can. At the event were dog enthusiasts and hikers, as well as their furry four-legged friends, including several available for adoption. Although you may have missed out on the hike, you can still help Friends of the Animals; make a donation online via Dogswell or contact Friends of the Animals.

The 25th Annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles gets underway officially at 10 o'clock this morning, but streets in West Hollywood are already closed to drivers and will remain so for a large portion of the day. If your travels today are in the vicinity, plan some alternate routes. Here's the route map to show you where to go to cheer on the walkers--or what part of town to avoid today.

If you've got the day off Friday (jobless, furloughed, ditching?), then maybe skipping the beach is in order so you can climb the tallest building west of the Mississippi. Every year, the popular Stair Climb to the Top raises money for the downtown YMCA with some 1,500 runners expected this Friday. The honor will cost you $100 (that's the fundraising minimum), whether you raise the money or pay your own way. On-site registration begins at 2 p.m.

Today’s the last day for Hannah Beth’s “Things I Love” pop-up shop at Royal/T in Culver City. Her collection features reconstructed vintage fashions, art, jewelry, sunglasses and accessories of Laeken, Lily L, Esther Kim, Danny Roberts, Ivy Ensley, Adri Law, Lauren Ishii, Lulu Christine and Cinderella.

Dan Deacon, Dillinger Escape Plan and Torche have been added to the FYF Fest line-up, which benefits California State Parks this year. For the $20 that will will go towards helping keep state parks open in California, audiences can see over 20 bands including the Black Lips, No Age, Mika Miko, Crystal Antlers, Peanut Butter Wolf, Avi Buffalo and many more. "That is 60 cents a band!!!!" organizers exclaimed in an e-mail today. Check out the full line up here, a schedule will be announced next week. The festival, scheduled for September 5th, will also include a kissing booth, taco eating contest, dance offs, a record fair, face painting and a 'missed connections' center. "This will be the best day of summer and it's all for a good cause, to build awareness about the possible closure of our beautiful state parks," they say.

As the summer winds down, it’s important to remember that there’s still a lot of good reasons -and even better causes - to get outside. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to kick back and just enjoy a beer either, does it? Well, if you’d like to give back, get out, and grab a drink while you’re at it, then consider Tuesday’s Bike MS at the Library Ale House on Main Street in Santa Monica.

A Killer Music Festival: On Saturday, September 5th, FYF Fest will host a Save Our State Pars festival at Los Angeles State Historic Park in Chinatown. For $20 that will will go towards helping keep state parks open in California, audiences can see over 20 bands including the Black Lips, No Age, Mika Miko, Crystal Antlers, Peanut Butter Wolf, Avi Buffalo and many more. Check out the full line up here. Meet the Politician: State Senator Fran Pavley, Committee Chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, will be hosting an informational meeting on the budget of state parks and mitigating closures. It's on Friday, August 28th from 9 to 11 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica. Pavley represents portions of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

       

The second annual Brew Haw Haw last Saturday attracted a medium-sized but lively (not rowdy) crowd 'Drinking for a Good Cause' to benefit of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. It was nice to not have to wait in big lines for the food or beverages as the weather wasn't as blisteringly hot as last last year or days just prior.

Seventeen restaurants tomorrow will donate 10 percent of their gross profits for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner service to Susan G. Komen for the Cure Los Angeles County. “Breast cancer awareness and prevention education is a cause close to my heart,” said Chef Ben Ford, Proprietor and Executive Chef at Ford’s Filling Station in Culver City. “I admire the work the Susan G. Komen Los Angeles County Affiliate has done in making strides to find a cure for this all-too-common disease, and I am thrilled to be able to have my restaurant and craft contribute toward this.”

                     

On Sunday May 31st, 5am would become the new rush hour for the 2,150 riders and 500 volunteer-roadies as they filtered into San Francisco's Cow Palace, waiting with anticipation and excitement for the kickoff of the 2009 AIDS/LifeCycle.

Believe it or not, Shepard Fairey’s work isn’t in this art exhibit. M+B gallery presents the first exhibit of never-before-seen photographs of President Barack Obama from his freshman year Occidental College. (Eagle Rock in the house!) Lisa Jack, then a photo student at Oxy, sought a striking subject for a portrait project and was tipped off about a charismatic student named “Barry” Obama. Little did anyone know that 28 years later, the subject would become the 44th President of the United States. The opening reception (with eco-friendly cocktails provided by Veev) will be held tonight from 6-9 pm. “Barack Obama: The Freshman” runs until July 18.

Although it won't be for official presidential business. This afternoon, Barack Obama will arrive in Los Angeles for a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in Beverly Hills. There will be no public appearences and he will stay overnight. His presence is affecting private pilots, who are not being allowed to fly in or out of LAX, Hawthorne Municipal Airport, Santa Monica Airport, Burbank Airport and Van Nuys Airport from 1:05 p.m. today to 8 a.m. tomorrow. This will be his second trip to Los Angeles since he took office. The last time was while on official duty.

For a city where the uninformed would quickly say "...but no one bikes in LA", a lot has happened over the past year. Cyclists took over the 10 and the 405. Crank Mob got a little crazier than usual. And on the less upbeat side, lives were lost, inevitably sparking rallies demanding safer streets for cyclists.

Stoked Mentoring is a non-profit in Los Angeles and New York that uses sports to connect with disadvantaged teenagers, offering them life skills and mentors through surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding. May 2-3, the organization follows up last year's successful fundraiser with two "Stoked Sessions" art shows at Upper Playground downtown. Over 200 artists donated original art created around the theme "I Heart LA" for the show -- 100% of the proceeds will go to directly to Stoked. A gallery featuring selected works is available at the event's Flickr page.

"Blankets are okay, but they slip and slide, and when you need to reach for something, your hands are trapped inside," laments the TV commercial for the Snuggie--the blanket that comes with two arms. Never has "lying on the couch" been made so convenient as it has since the product's arrival on the market. And just when you thought you and your new best friend were relegated to the confines of your own home, an event slated to take place soon in Los Angeles can bring Snuggie-wearing booze-enthusiasts together, out in public.

Congressional Representative Grace Napolitano, who represents various cities in LA County, is under fire today for personally earning over $200,000 in campaign donations because she has been charging an up to 18% interest rate on a loan she personally made in 1998, finds Bloomberg News:

The LA County Department of Public Health has issued a warning about frozen cookie dough that was sold in several area schools as part of a fundraiser. Aside from the fact that raising funds by selling frozen cookie dough is kind of weird, the problem is that the dough could possibly be tainted with salmonella. Tasty!

                                    

Earlier this month, the 2nd Annual Christmas Sweater Festival took place at The Echoplex (MySpace). The fundraiser, with proceeds benefiting Doctors Without Borders, featured a stellar lineup of rising stars from the local indie scene, including Amnion (MySpace), Castledoor (MySpace), The Pity Party (MySpace), The Deadly Syndrome (MySpace), The Happy Hollows (MySpace), and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros (MySpace).

He might have played a big box book retailer in 1998's You've Got Mail, but in real life, actor Tom Hanks is pitching for the little guy, namely Pacific Palisades' Village Books. Local blog Tabloid Baby explains that Hanks is trying to help efforts to save the store by signing books there tonight.

Photo by Omar Omar via Flickr

                      

Last Tuesday, local blues/rock duo HoneyHoney (MySpace) -- previously mentioned here -- celebrated the release of their debut full-length album at the Hotel Cafe (MySpace) in Hollywood, with openers The Sweet Hurt (MySpace) and Miss Willie Brown (MySpace).

                             

Last Sunday and Monday was Obama Nights! at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood. The sold-out Barack Obama Presidential Campaign fundraisers, featuring an all-star lineup of 23 singer-songwriters, included Marina V (MySpace), Caitlin Crosby (MySpace), Laura Jansen (MySpace), Charlotte Martin (MySpace), Charley Turner (MySpace), Brother Sal (MySpace), Terra Naomi (MySpace), Priscilla Ahn (MySpace), Greg Laswell (MySpace), Cary Brothers (MySpace), Jim Bianco (MySpace), and Butch Walker (MySpace) for Sunday, while Monday included Kelly Dalton (MySpace), Marié Digby (MySpace), Tim Myers (MySpace), Schuyler Fisk (MySpace), HoneyHoney (MySpace), Rocco DeLuca (MySpace), David Ryan Harris (MySpace), Chris Pierce (MySpace), Tom Freund (MySpace), Ben Lee (MySpace), and Brett Dennen (MySpace).