By Ricky Richardson, Contributing Writer
(Hawthorne, Ca.)- It was a beautiful day in the City of Hawthorne. The “City of Good Neighbors” was the place to be on Saturday, April 9, 2022, from 10:00am-2:00pm.
A diverse, multi-cultural crowd gathered in Hawthorne Memorial Park-3901 W. El Segundo Blvd. for a trifecta of events. The Bunny/Earth Day Celebration and Service Provider Fair returned for an in-person event.
Families came out to enjoy the festivities taken place on this nice, pleasant day. The weather was a lot cooler than the previous two days of Summer like weather.
The City of Hawthorne, Community Services and the Public Works Department collaborated to present the three above mentioned events. Hawthorne Mayor Alex Vargas; Mayor Pro Tem David Patterson; Hawthorne Councilmembers Alex Monteiro and Olivia Valentine were joined by California State Senator Steven Bradford (35th District) and Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell (2nd District) to welcome everyone to the event.
The park was buzzing with energy and excitement. Attendees enjoyed a family friendly, fun filled, day of games, interactive displays, arts and crafts, an engaging and entertaining puppet show and various inflatables (bounce houses).
The City of Hawthorne, Community Services and the Public Works Department and other local environmental organizations provided attendees with information and resources about plants, composting, recycling, energy and water conservation for the 16th Annual Earth Day Celebration. Information was also provided to provide financial incentives for attendees to incorporate a more sustainable lifestyle. Attendees could pick up composting materials, drop off/dispose of electronic waste and have sensitive documents shredded inside the Betty Ainsworth Center.
The Easter Bunny made an early special appearance in the City of Hawthorne to the excitement of the kids. The kids were thoroughly entertained and engaged by Kiddle Karoo and the Puppet Show. Afterwards, the kids were organized by age group so that they could participant in the Easter Egg Hunt. Everyone enjoyed a nice box lunch.
Community partners on site were- Islamic Center; Tie Dye; Housing Rights Center; Kinecta Credit Union; Housing Department, Hawthorne Chamber of Commerce; Hawthorne Business Expo; Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell; State Senator Steven Bradford; Kayla Baskets; South Bay Church of God; HMEA; The Castle Preschool; Holly Park Association and Northeast Hawthorne.
Environmental and Service Providers in attendance were- Hawthorne Public Works; Hawthorne Community Services; Republic Services; Clean Power Alliance; Golden State Water; Los Angeles Water Keeper; Tetra Tech; Trash for Teaching; and SoCal Gas.
Save the Dates: The City of Hawthorne is celebrating 100 Years of being the “City of Good Neighbors”-1922-2022. Several events are planned for this historic occasion. July 8- Commemorative Dinner, July 9- Parade and Block Party, July 10- Day at the Museum and July 12- Time Capsule Opening. For more information, contact The Community Services Offices at (310) 349-1640.
