Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill celebrated the one-year anniversary of its Northridge location on July 30 with a fundraiser benefitting Northridge Sparkle, a nonprofit that involves the local community in beautification efforts on Reseda Boulevard. Sharky’s donated 20 percent of the day’s sales to Northridge Sparkle, raising $1,200 in total. The organization plans to use the proceeds for the installation of a 30-foot lighted flagpole on Reseda Boulevard, among other projects. “Since the conception of Northridge Sparkle six years ago, Reseda Boulevard has garnered the attention of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and our local Councilman Mitchell Englander,” Andrea Alvarado, founder of Northridge Sparkle, said in a statement. “We are so appreciative that Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill has chosen to support our efforts as part of their anniversary celebration.” Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill has 24 locations throughout California and Oregon. The restaurant is slated to open a Studio City location in late August. Bunny Sculpture Shoppes at Westlake Village is the new home of Conejo Cottontail, a 5-foot, 6-inch fiberglass bunny sculpture. The statue was unveiled at a ceremony Aug. 5 at the Shoppes fountain on Russell Ranch Road. Attendees donned bunny ears as they munched on food and drinks provided by participating sponsors TIFA Chocolate & Gelato, Jeannine’s Gourmet Food Hall, Q Sushi and Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. Event-goers also enjoyed a “braid bar,” courtesy of luxury beauty service salon All Tressed Up, as well as balloon twisting and other activities for kids. Donated by real estate developer Dan Selleck, the sculpture is part of the regional Conejo Cottontails public art campaign sponsored by Art Trek, Arts Council of the Conejo Valley and the Conejo Cottontails Committee. The sculpture – aptly named “Coniglio,”or Italian for “rabbit” – is the work of artists Jen Sutman and Wendy Jann, who contacted Selleck about the piece. “We’ve been thrilled to work with the artists,” said Kitty Dill, director of publications and marketing for the Arts Council of the Conejo Valley. “We want to give them homage for reaching out to Dan about this wonderful opportunity.” A portion of the proceeds from each Conejo Cottontail benefit arts education programs for kindergarten through first grade students in the Conejo Valley. Backpack Festival Kaiser Permanente and El Nido Family Centers teamed up to distribute 400 new backpacks to local families at the Back to School and College Corner Fair at the Pacoima Community Center on July 28. The backpacks, donated by Kaiser Permanente Southern California employees, were filled with school supplies. Kaiser also enlisted the help of 40 volunteers to run the luau-themed event, which included games, arts, crafts and “fishing” for snacks. Students from UCLA and Cal State Northridge discussed college life and provided resources to high school students at the “College Corner,” while Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles offered voter registration assistance. Northeast Valley Health Corp. sponsored a booth to address questions about SB-75, a new law that mandates Medi-Cal benefits to all children under 19 regardless of immigration status. Entrepreneurial Training Operation HOPE honored the graduates of its 12-week entrepreneurship training program with a ceremony on July 28 at Kaiser Permanente in Woodland Hills. The entrepreneurship training program was designed to educate aspiring entrepreneurs on the basics of business development, including creation of a business plan, marketing strategies and obtaining access to capital. Operation HOPE is a nonprofit dedicated to building financial literacy in communities around the globe. In addition to the entrepreneurship training program, its HOPE Inside location in Northridge provides free workshops on small business development, homeownership and credit and money management. Staff Reporter Helen Floersh can be reached at (818) 316-3121 or [email protected].
