HOLA AND LAFAYETTE PARK RECREATION CENTER TO CELEBRATE WESTLAKE AREA COMMUNITY YOUTH GRADUATES ON JUNE 27 AT 4:00 PM CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT HERB WESSON TO BE KEYNOTE SPEAKER Los Angeles, CA (June 18, 2012) – Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) and the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks will hold a Community Graduation to celebrate the youth graduates in the West Lake area of Los Angeles. The Community Graduation will be held in Lafayette Park at the recently renovated Lafayette Recreation Center. City Council President Herb Wesson will deliver the keynote address and closing remarks will be made by Jon Kirk Mukri, General Manager of the Department of Recreation and Parks. The festive celebration will include musical performances, the marching of the color guard and presentation of certificates to all of the graduates. In attendance will be dozens of HOLA seniors who are the first in their families to graduate from high school and the first in their families to go off to colleges and universities around the country. The Lafayette Recreation Center is a result of the historic public-private partnership between HOLA and the Department of Recreation and Parks to transform Lafayette Park into a versatile campus that provides exceptional academic, arts, recreation and athletic programs to the surrounding community. The Community Graduation exemplifies the community benefit and highlights the educational and enrichment accomplishments that are achieved when best in class partners and individuals come together to help solve larger societal problems. “Our Community Graduation symbolizes the true strength of such partnerships and it will be a prideful moment for dozens of parents and the entire community,” said Tony Brown, Executive Director of HOLA. “Over 150 expected community members and city officials will bear witness to students following a roadmap for rebuilding a stronger community that is able to solve present day and future challenges." This year, thanks to the generous support of the College Access Foundation of California, HOLA will distribute nearly $100,000 in college scholarships to graduating seniors, many of whom will be in attendance at the ceremony. Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) For more than two decades, HOLA has provided thousands of underserved and at-risk youth with exceptional free after-school programs in academics, arts and athletics, including a new world-class youth orchestra program, visual arts program, college preparation courses and athletic leagues. HOLA provides elementary, middle and high school programming for a growing population of children who are in urgent need of supplemental services. Every day, HOLA empowers inner city youth to advance their lives and revitalize their communities through enrichment, personal development and leadership programs. For additional information about HOLA, please contact Tony Brown, 213-389-1148 x235 and/or visit the website at www.heartofla.org. City of Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department The Department of Recreation and Parks maintains over 15,710 acres of parkland with over 400 neighborhood and regional parks, 184 recreation centers and facilities, 368 children’s play areas, 321 tennis courts, 256 ball fields, 31 senior centers, 13 golf courses, nine dog parks, 18 skate parks, 12 museums and an urban forest of one million trees. The Department also provides after school, day care and athletic programs for children and teens, including basketball, volleyball, softball and flag football leagues. For more information about Department of Recreation and Parks events, activities, services, programs, and facilities, go to www.laparks.org, or call 311, or (213) 202-2700. ##############
Media Contact: Lee Schube, (213) 389-1148 x232, lschube@heartofla.org