Thousands of Volunteers Dance L.A.'s Longest Conga Line to Celebrate 12th Annual L.A. Works Day - L.A.'s Longest Running Day of ``Hands-on'' Community Service.

News Editors/Lifestyle Editors

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 5, 2004

Volunteers Transform Community Sites throughout Los Angeles 

Thousands of volunteers danced the conga along Grand Avenue in front of Disney Hall today to celebrate L.A. Works Day 2004 - the city's longest running day of community service. Led by the afro-cuban beat of Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca, L.A.'s longest conga line stretched four city blocks from California Plaza to Disney Hall.

Volunteers representing our city's rich cultural blend converged at California Plaza, the gathering place at the heart of the emerging "new downtown". From there, they fanned out to play music with kids, create community art, paint schools and murals, plant trees and clean up the LA River. Eight service projects were completed as part of the 12th Annual L.A. Works Day.

"L.A. Works Day is our city's longest running day of 'hands-on' community service. By sending 350 - 400 volunteers to a site, we can really transform it. At the end of the day, the difference we've made at the eight sites is really extraordinary," said L.A. Works Executive Director Ann Burroughs.

L.A. Works Day followed a forum yesterday, co-hosted by L.A. Works and 89.3 KPCC, at LA Center Studios entitled "Downtown LA: Who Cares?" Panelists discussing the future of the downtown area included Michael Alexander, Executive Director of Grand Performances, Carol Schatz, CEO and President of the Downtown Center Business Improvement District, Raphael J. Sonenshein, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science at Cal State Fullerton, and Roland Wiley, Managing Partner of RAW International and President Elect of The Los Angeles Conservancy. The forum was moderated by KPCC's Larry Mantle and broadcast live as part of his program AirTalk.

"L.A. Works is committed to linking volunteerism with public policy and the larger debate about our city and the issues that affect it," said L.A. Works co-chair, Donna Bojarsky. "Yesterday we discussed development in downtown and how that impacts the many stakeholders from electeds to the homeless. Today we do our part to refurbish the spaces we inhabit and really see the positive impact that a mobilized group can have."

Volunteers kicked off the day's festivities at California Plaza in the morning and dispersed to perform service projects. This year's locations included Trinity Elementary School, Magnolia Elementary School, Esperanza Elementary School. Riverside Center and Garden, the Boys and Girls Club of Cypress Park, the section of the LA River at the Fletcher Street Bridge and two East LA neighborhoods. When service projects were completed, volunteers re-grouped at the California Plaza for lunch provided by Louse's Trattoria.

"It's our duty to improve the communities in which we live. Today, over 2,000 volunteers donated almost 8,000 hours of service to the city," said L.A. Works Co-Chair Bob L. Johnson. "Trinity Elementary School now has a new coat of paint, the Cypress Park Boys and Girls Club was painted inside and out, and over 200 kids from the community were treated to interactive games with our volunteers at Magnolia Elementary School."

L.A. Works

L.A. Works is a non-profit organization that promotes hands-on volunteerism throughout Los Angeles. L.A. Works makes it easy to volunteer for short or long-term projects throughout the year. Currently, L.A. Works organizes 60 free community service projects per month. Since its inception in 1991, thousands of L.A. Works volunteers have contributed over one million volunteer hours of service to Los Angeles, spent over 80,000 hours reading books to children and at-risk youth, 65,000 hours tutoring and 50,000 hours providing activities for the elderly, served over 10,000 meals to the homeless and painted hundred of murals at schools and non-profits. For more information, visit www.laworks.com