March 29, 2024 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Upper West To Host Cinco De Mayo Fundraiser For Healing Arts Reaching Kids:

Want to celebrate Cinco de Mayo is style and support a good cause at the same time?

Look no further than Upper West Restaurant at 3321 Pico Blvd. where the community is invited to celebrate with HARK (Healing Arts Reaching Kids).

On Cinco de Mayo (May 5) from 5 pm to 10 pm, Upper West will donate 30 percent of proceeds to HARK.

Revelers will be able to indulge in Upper West’s individualist food and drinks while getting caught up in the surprise piñata raffles all to support HARK.

HARK helps normalize the hospital environment for patients and their families through hands-on art workshop experiences as well as providing philanthropic support for the hospital’s Expressive Arts Therapies services.

“It has been shown that patients have a 20 percent mood improvement with art therapy and 20 percent pain improvement with music therapy,” said Laurie Hutton, HARK president. “At our HARK workshops we bring both music and art to the kids. I was told by a patient that it was very relaxing; in fact, all of us, volunteers and the kids, lose track of time while painting and listening to music.”

Hutton said HARK helped “children be children” and have fun in a hospital environment.

“Parents are so relieved to have a little time to breathe and enjoy down time with both their patient child and their other kids; they can just be a family for a while,” she said.

HARK founder Karen Sweeney said it was about 10 years ago when she saw a need to help hospitalized children feel more at ease.

“The first day I volunteered at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles I was on the kidney dialysis floor,” Sweeney said. “The kids were in bed hooked up to a machine which was very scary for them; they needed something to bring normalcy and all I had at the time were crayons and paper. Since then HARK has grown a lot through all our volunteers and their fundraising efforts. It allows us to have much more generous and varied art supplies and create group workshops with art and music but it’s still all about the kids. They are little heroes.”

Upper West is a “creative, classy” Santa Monica eatery serving internationally inspired dishes like Ahi tuna tacos and Chimichurri sweet potato fries and offering a full bar in a comfortable but urban setting.

Upper West is located at 3321 Pico Boulevard, Santa Monica. Reservations can be made by calling 310.586.1111 or visiting theupperwest.com.

Related Posts

Film Review: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

July 19, 2023

July 19, 2023

FILM REVIEWMISSION IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONERated PG-13163 MinutesReleased July 11th The story in this “Mission: Impossible” chapter, “Dead...

Film Review: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

July 5, 2023

July 5, 2023

FILM REVIEWINDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINYRated PG-13154 MinutesReleased June 30th The director of Indiana Jones and the Dial...

Film Review: Past Lives

June 27, 2023

June 27, 2023

FILM REVIEWPAST LIVESRated PG-13105 MinutesLimited Releases June 2nd and June 9th, Full Release June 23rd The Korean concept of “In...

Film Review: Sanctuary

June 8, 2023

June 8, 2023

FILM REVIEWSANCTUARYRated R96 MinutesReleased May 19th In my humble estimation, this is one of the best movies of the year....

Film Review: The Little Mermaid

June 2, 2023

June 2, 2023

FILM REVIEWTHE LITTLE MERMAIDRated PG135 MinutesReleased May 26th With today’s technological developments, a live-action The Little Mermaid is not only...

A Riveting Revival of the Pulitzer Prize-Winning “A Soldier’s Play” Now Playing At The Ahmanson Theatre

May 31, 2023

May 31, 2023

On Stage With… Murder mysteries, whether cinematic or theatrical, are one of the most popular subjects. The list is quite...

Film Review: Chevalier

May 12, 2023

May 12, 2023

By Kathryn Boole  RATED PG-13107 MinutesReleased April 21, 2023 Chevalier is based on the true story of a historical figure...

Ballet at the Broad Stage Memorial Weekend – Meet the Talent!

May 10, 2023

May 10, 2023

Westside Ballet of Santa Monica returns to the Broad Stage with special guest artists kicking off Friday May 26th with...

Elizabeth McGovern Lights Up The Stage in “Ava – The Secret Conversations”

April 26, 2023

April 26, 2023

Play About Legendary Screen Star Runs Until May 14 At The Geffen Playhouse By Beverly Cohn Ava Gardner, born Ava...

Unconventional Art Festival “The Other Art Fair” Returns to Santa Monica This Weekend

March 31, 2023

March 31, 2023

140 independent artists, immersive installations, performances, DJs, and a fully stocked bar await visitors at Barker Hangar The Other Art...

Samohi Theatre’s “The Drowsy Chaperone” Takes the Stage in Santa Monica

March 1, 2023

March 1, 2023

Shows will take place at Barnum Hall on March 3 and 4 at 7 p.m. and March 5 at 3...

Film Review: “Marlow”

February 23, 2023

February 23, 2023

FILM REVIEW“MARLOWE”Rated R109 MinutesReleased February 15th “Marlowe” is a beautifully shot period piece that takes place in the late 1930’s....

Film Review: All Quite on the Western Front

February 22, 2023

February 22, 2023

I have never been a soldier at war, although I have close friends and relatives who have been. Universally they...

SMC Emeritus Concert Band to Hold Free Concert This Weekend at the Broad Stage

February 22, 2023

February 22, 2023

Concert February 26 will feature musical selections with an outdoor theme Santa Monica College’s Emeritus Concert Band, under the baton...