Mark MacInnis is a filmmaker. Big whoop. Mark MacInnis directed a great documentary about urban farmers in Detroit. OK, now I’m intrigued… Mark MacInnis is starting a project to build farms at urban high schools around the country, starting with LA. OK, that’s AWESOME. And that’s why he’s the winner of the latest 1K Awesome Grant from Awesome Foundation – LA! Mark’s Urban Roots/Field of Dreams project has committed to getting urban farms going at five LA high schools, starting with this big plot of nothin’ at Garfield HS in East LA: It’s a big job, and we hope that 1K from us will be a good start. But just in case it’s not enough (spoiler alert: it’s not enough), we’re helping to throw him this fundraiser on December 3rd. Buy a ticket at Eventbrite and be there, or be square. PS – We’re not the first Awesome Chapter to get amped up by urban farms (see Awesome Foundation NYC). This is one instance where we are happy to be copycats. Excelsior!

With a new surge in the interest of biking as a form of healthy, eco-friendly transportation, Awesome LA was super excited to come across an application focused on reminding our eco-conscious, fit cyclists around the city about helmet safety–in an awesome way of course! Riding bikes is cool, riding bikes and getting in an accident without a helmet is, well, quite possibly deadly which can be compared to the injuries caused in the construction site accidents. A huge portion of bicycle accident fatalities are a result of head injuries. Thankfully, we have Helmet Hero to the rescue!

When the Awesome LA Chapter sat down to consider who to give the next grant to we were, per usual, faced with a very difficult decision. After much debate and soul-searching for what The Awesome Foundation truly stands for, we picked a project that we felt truly embodied our mission – to find and sponsor unique, grassroots, homegrown ideas for making the world a more fun, happy, and dare we say, awesome place to be in. The project we ultimately chose to support is one that developed over a coffee table discussion between Jeffrey Waldman and his friends, debating what vehicle would elicit a pure sense of joy. Photos from his journey across Los Angeles to hang swings can be found here: http://on.fb.me/ipXGtN. Better yet – here is an awesome video that documents the team’s work hanging swings throughout Los Angeles. Awesome Swings Now, Jeff  is now taking his beautiful idea to a whole new level: “The easy answers to finding pure joy were from our childhood and the most common was swings. From there it was a simple endeavor but we had no idea how well it would be received or the exponential impact it would have on people’s lives and their interactions…. read more →

Come celebrate our newest grant award winner at First Fridays on Abbot Kinney! Mingle and learn about Awesome projects going on! Drinks and good cheer provided. Friday, June 3 · 7:00pm – 9:00pm Animal West Studio – 1212A Abbot Kinney Blvd. Venice, CA Parking is available on streets nearby. Thanks to our talented visual effects friends at Animal West for donating their beautiful space for our event!

We are happy to announce LA’s APRIL grant winner – LA Compton Junior Posse. In 1988 Mayisha Akbar created, somewhat by accident, a safe haven for kids in Compton. Little known fact to most, the Richland Farms area of Compton is zoned for farming. Many people have ranches and raise horses in a part of Los Angeles that is widely perceived as unsafe. A mother of three, Mayisha moved to Compton to buy a farm where she could raise horses. What she quickly realized was that in Compton, many children’s basic needs are not being met. Her own children slowly brought more and more neighborhood kids back to the farm after school to play, for meals, and so on. Mayisha found that horses acted as a motivational tool for the children, and slowly but surely has formed a strong organization teaching kids to ride. Through Mayisha’s backyard program, hundreds of young people ages 5-18 have learned to take care for and communicate with horses, many even compete! Mayisha provides kids with a sense of self-worth and belonging and a real life skill. We think the Compton Junior Posse is awesome! If you want to donate or check out the posse,… read more →