When the Awesome LA Chapter sat down to consider who to give the next grant to we were, per usual, faced with a very difficult decision. After much debate and soul-searching for what The Awesome Foundation truly stands for, we picked a project that we felt truly embodied our mission – to find and sponsor unique, grassroots, homegrown ideas for making the world a more fun, happy, and dare we say, awesome place to be in.

The project we ultimately chose to support is one that developed over a coffee table discussion between Jeffrey Waldman and his friends, debating what vehicle would elicit a pure sense of joy. Photos from his journey across Los Angeles to hang swings can be found here: http://on.fb.me/ipXGtN.

Better yet – here is an awesome video that documents the team’s work hanging swings throughout Los Angeles.

Awesome Swings

Now, Jeff  is now taking his beautiful idea to a whole new level:

“The easy answers to finding pure joy were from our childhood and the most common was swings. From there it was a simple endeavor but we had no idea how well it would be received or the exponential impact it would have on people’s lives and their interactions. We accidentally stumbled onto something wonderful and much greater in its return than what was to be expected on paper. Every time I see a child beg their parents to be pushed on one of my swings, I become all the more committed to the idea that this project is something I’ll never give up until it becomes a movement on a global scale. This last time was no different, and I’m entrenched in the effort to make my dream a reality…
Our Next Step: Swings: Bolivia

We have just launched a new Kickstarter campaign [LINK: swingsetting.org ] to hang swings throughout Bolivia. In case you’re curious as to why we chose Bolivia– there are a hundred states and cities that we’d love to bring joy to, but Bolivia in particular has some very relevant statistics:

-Bolivia has the second highest poverty levels in South America.
-49% of the population is under 20.
-1 in 4 Bolivians are between the ages of 10 and 19.
-40% of their Army is under the age of 18.
-The age of consent is arbitrarily defined as “puberty.”
-In every 1000 teenage girls, 88 are pregnant.

Bolivia is a country largely populated by children, few of whom are able to act like it. If ever there was a place in need of a return to innocence and a reminder of the pure and simple joys in life, this is it.

We’ve hung swings in The Marshall Islands, Panama, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. We’ve also inspired people in a dozen other cities to do the same. But this next step will be something bigger, something more than a weekend, where we’ll spend a month in Bolivia living among the communities, learning first-hand the emotional state of a country and its people. We’ll work with people on the ground to really dig deep, going to off-the-beaten-path towns and truly living local life. This is the project that will set the tone and goals of a global scale effort, and go far beyond what I’ve previously been doing. We’re not just going to throw some rope over a tree– we’ll be sowing the idea of creating impromptu joy and reminding Bolivians what it feels like to experience pure and innocent happiness.”

We are so honored to have helped fund this idea and are very excited to see the fruits of Jeff’s labor as he takes his vehicle for joy and spreads it across the world.

Come celebrate our newest grant award winner at First Fridays on Abbot Kinney! Mingle and learn about Awesome projects going on! Drinks and good cheer provided.

Parking is available on streets nearby. Thanks to our talented visual effects friends at Animal West for donating their beautiful space for our event!

We are happy to announce LA’s APRIL grant winner – LA Compton Junior Posse. In 1988 Mayisha Akbar created, somewhat by accident, a safe haven for kids in Compton.

Little known fact to most, the Richland Farms area of Compton is zoned for farming. Many people have ranches and raise horses in a part of Los Angeles that is widely perceived as unsafe. A mother of three, Mayisha moved to Compton to buy a farm where she could raise horses. What she quickly realized was that in Compton, many children’s basic needs are not being met. Her own children slowly brought more and more neighborhood kids back to the farm after school to play, for meals, and so on. Mayisha found that horses acted as a motivational tool for the children, and slowly but surely has formed a strong organization teaching kids to ride.

Through Mayisha’s backyard program, hundreds of young people ages 5-18 have learned to take care for and communicate with horses, many even compete! Mayisha provides kids with a sense of self-worth and belonging and a real life skill.

We think the Compton Junior Posse is awesome! If you want to donate or check out the posse, go here: http://www.comptonjrposse.org/