The spirit of the holidays will be in full swing this Sunday, Dec. 6 during Meet Me Under the Fig Tree, a free annual community event hosted by Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows and MSD Capital from 2-5 pm at the hotel, 101 Wilshire Blvd.
Meet Me Under the Fig Tree is a holiday celebration for the entire family. There will be entertainment provided by Grammy award winning pianist Bill Cunliffe and the Santa Monica High School Orchestra, pictures with Santa Claus, whimsical gingerbread houses, seasonal crafts and a complimentary raffle with prizes donated by local businesses and the Miramar Hotel.
For the kids, there will be a bounce house, cotton candy and special new events this year, including a petting zoo, mural painting and more.
Once again, this event will be emceed by Greg Goldner and Gauri Ramnath.
Visitors are encouraged to bring nonperishable food items, which will be donated to OPCC, formerly Ocean Park Community Center.
Last year, approximately 8,500 pounds of food were donated.
“We are excited to once again be hosting Meet Me Under the Fig Tree for Santa Monica residents,” said Ellis O’Connor, representing MSD Capital’s Hospitality Group. “In addition to providing a great kick-off to the holiday season, where people can mingle and have fun under the historic Moreton Bay Fig Tree, the event is an opportunity for our neighbors to come together and think about those who really need our help this season. We encourage everyone to come, have a great time and bring nonperishable food items.”
John Maceri, OPCC Executive Director, said OPCC was extremely proud to be part of such a great event again.
“In addition to directly helping hundreds of individuals and families during the holiday season, we hope that this event encourages even more Santa Monica residents to help those in need,” he said. “Thank you to the Miramar Hotel and MSD Capital for creating an annual celebration that not only benefits a good cause, but is such a fun event for the community.”
Now in its 52nd year, OPCC is the largest social services agency on the Westside of Los Angeles.
A non-profit organization headquartered in Santa Monica, OPCC provides highly effective, fully integrated services to the most traumatized, vulnerable and needy members of our community — homeless individuals, victims of domestic violence, at-risk youth, indigent Veterans, and people dealing with severe physical or mental illness or substance abuse. OPCC is the only West L.A.-based agency that offers a comprehensive system of care to solve the complex, multi-faceted problems of this diverse population.
As a result, OPCC has the wide-ranging expertise and programs that enable it to tailor services to the needs of each person, however complicated those needs may be. OPCC offers seven core services that provide support in the areas of housing, domestic violence, physical health, mental health, life skills/wellness, income services and substance abuse.
All are designed to improve self-sufficiency, restore dignity, and enable clients to be contributing members of the community, enhancing the quality of life for everyone.
For more information about visit: www.fairmont.com/santamonica and www.opcc.org.
