FRIENDS OF THE

LA RIVER

YOUR VOICE, YOUR MOVEMENT, YOUR RIVER

SEPT 13, 2018 | LA RIVER CENTER & GARDENS

Lewis MacAdams, FoLAR Co-founder and

President EmeritusM-K O’Connell,

Chairman of the Board

Yuval Bar-Zemer, Secretary Ruth ColemanCharles EddyPaul KellerAlex Ward

Board of Directors

MEET THE FOLAR TEAM!

Jon ChristensenNatasha Keefer

Mike KelleyMia Lehrer

Ocean MacAdams

George MihlstenDamon NagamiDan RosenfeldNestor ValenciaAdele Yellin

Advisory Board

Marissa ChristiansenShelly BacklarMarissa Bates

Ivana Gomez del CampoMichael Atkins

Reymundo Bravo

Liliana GriegoJohanna HackettMareshah “MJ” JacksonStephen MejiaZoe Witt

FoLAR Staff

A LETTER FROM CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARDM-K O’CONNELL

M-K O’Connell, Chairman of the Board

Welcome to FoLAR’s Noche del Río Gala!Thank you very much for supporting our mission as we work to reconnect Angelenos to their heritage, their neighbors, and their River. Last year we honored our Founder and spirit guide, Lewis MacAdams. We all gathered at the newly-renamed Lewis MacAdams Riverfront Park and witnessed the

unveiling of a statue memorializing Lewis’s poetic vision and the River Move-ment he birthed. This year, we honor the movement started by the man.

At its core, the River Movement is about shared values and shared resources. It’s about a shared opportunity where everyone recognizes the tremendous benefits we can all participate in. The River Movement, then, is about community. Tonight we honor community—and common good—and how, with the help of progressive politicians and some savvy programs, individuals can unite behind a common cause much larger than themselves. Most important, we want to encourage all of you to invite more people to this community.

This is Los Angeles’s single greatest civic engagement opportunity. Restoring the Los Angeles River brings green space to a park-starved city; introduces citizens to the complexity and interconnectedness of our watershed; and brings the people of our City together along its banks. The more Angelenos we recruitto help restore their River, the more the restoration will look like all of us. And that’s what community is all about.

Marissa Christiansen, Executive Director

See you on the River.

A LETTER FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTORMARISSA CHRISTIANSEN

Dear River Friend,Welcome to this year’s Noche del Río Gala. This year marks 32 years as leaders in the River Movement for Friends of the Los Angeles River. I am delighted to share this evening with you, our Board, and our distinguished guests, Assemblymembers Laura Friedman and Wendy Carrillo, and MRCA Ranger Edgar del Campo.

32 years ago Lewis MacAdams promised to serve as the River’s voice. With that, the River Movement was born with the simple intention of bringing the River to the people and the people to the River. Three decades later and with the help of all of you here, we’ve educated, empowered, and mobilized over 60,000 River Stewards of all ages to repair habitat, study the River ecosystem, and fight for the policies that will reclaim our collective right to a healthy, thriving, and equitably accessible Los Angeles River. In the past year alone, we’ve engaged over 20,000 volunteers, advocates, and young students through our outreach, education, and advocacy programs, making us the LARGEST MOBILIZING FORCE ON THE RIVER. The best River of the future can only be delivered through a deeply connected and broad spread River constituency. Together – with you – we are building a greener, more equitable future for Los Angeles and its natural habitat.

MEET LA KITCHEN & CHEF MICHELLE

LA Kitchen uses food to empower, nourish, and engage the community by reclaiming healthy, local food that would otherwise be discarded, providing meals to fellow citizens, and training men and women to prepare them for employment.

Chef Michelle is an exceptional chef and active community member who lends her time to students at LA Kitchen. She advocates for zero waste and conscious eating, while creating magical, one-of-a-kind events. Please join FoLAR in saying thanks to Chef Michelle and her staff.

FoLAR is pleased to partner with community members in delivering food and refreshments for Noche del Río. We encourage our friends, River stewards, and supporters to consider volunteering their time and supporting local businesses and organizations.

Noche del Río is made possible with the help of our local community - thank you to our in-kind sponsors!

SEPULVEDABASIN

BALLONAWETLANDS

SANTA MONICA PIER

MALIBU

RANCHO PALOS VERDES

BELLCREEK

ARROYO CALABASAS

Angelenos mobilized20,000

activated in support of Prop 68 & the River’s future

3,000STEWARDS

educated by our Source to Sea School Education Program

1,834STUDENTS

G2 TAYLOR YARD

ELYSIAN VALLEY

LOS ANGELES

SIXTH STREETVIADUCT

COMPTONCREEK

LONG BEACH

GLENDALENARROWS

TUJUNGA WASH

SEPULVEDABASIN

RIO HONDO

ARROYO SECO

of trash prevented from entering the Pacific Ocean

70 TONS

of the community engaged at our LA River Rover

8,166MEMBERS

YOU ARE HERE

organized to clean the River

7,000VOLUNTEERS

Assemblymember Laura Friedman (43rd District)

Laura has long been recognized as a steadfast advocate for the environment, equality, and the arts. After serving seven years on the Glendale City Council, including a term as the Mayor of Glendale, Laura was elected to the California State Assembly in 2016. During her first term,

Laura secured $20 million in funding for the completion of the Glendale Riverwalk Project, and authored a package of bills to establish landmark water efficiency standards, strengthen environmental sustainability, improve access to transportation alternatives, and create new avenues for communities to tackle the affordable housing crisis. Laura lives in Glendale with her husband, a landscape designer, and their daughter.

organizing, to proudly represent the 51st District. After being elected in December 2017, Wendy got to work in her first term, introducing bills to increase access to outdoor experiences for disadvantaged youth and another to increase multi-modal access to our parks - critical needs in park-poor Los Angeles. Wendy immigrated to the United States as a young child during El Salvador’s Civil War and is a first generation American with Salvadoran and Mexican heritage.

Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo (51st District)

Wendy is an important voice in support of human rights, environmental justice, and education. She brings a valuable mix of personal experience as a formerly undocumented immigrant, and professional experience in broadcast journalism and labor

HONORING 2018’S RIVER CHAMPIONS

Edgar del Campo,MRCA Ranger

Edgar grew up crossing the Los Angeles River daily on his walk to school, cementing an early and deep appreciation. He joined the LA Conservation Corps in 2012, actively maintaining and observing the conditions onthe River. In the summer of 2014, Edgar

supported the Frog Spot’s weekend programming and events. As the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority formed its Bridge to Park career program later that year, FoLAR proudly recommended Edgar, citing his extensive knowledge of the River’s flora and fauna. Edgar continues his work with the MRCA and continues to bring the people to the River by conducting nature walks at our Second Saturday events in Lewis MacAdams Riverfront Park.

OUR EDUCATION PROGRAM INSPIRES THE NEXT GENERATION OF RIVER STEWARDS.

In Recognition of FoLAR Board Member Alex Ward

Our longest-standing Board Member

With an affinity for the River and its urban landscape, Alex Ward joined the Board in 2006 and served as Chairman of the Board

from 2010 - 2013. When it was apparent that the Sixth Street Viaduct must be replaced, due to a rare chemical reaction that caused the concrete to crumble, Alex advocated for a forward-looking plan. Under his leadership, FoLAR called for an innovative approach – an international competition. The winning design, Ribbon of Light, integrates the iconic arches and creates a 12-acre public park. There is no doubt that the viaduct is a catalyst for River revitalization and will also become a world-class bridge and travel destination.

There’s no better way to be a Friend of the LA River than to have your mark engraved next to our founder Lewis MacAdams at the banks of the River. By inscribing your own message for permanent placement at Lewis’s sculpture at MacAdams Riverfront Park, your part in reviving the LA River will be memorialized forever. Before Noche del Río ends, personalize your own commemorative brick by making a tax-deductible donation of $1,000, which you can pay upfront or in installments. Here’s your chanceto honor Lewis’s work as the River’s most influential activist. Speak to a FoLAR staff member to purchase your commemorative brick today!

LEAVE YOUR MARK ON THE RIVER!

Charles & Brenda Eddy

Julia Meltzer & David Thorne

WSPNRDC

Adele Yellin

THANK YOU TO OUR 2018 SPONSORS!

FOLLOW FOLAR

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FORLA GRAN LIMPIEZA

@LosAngelesRiver @FoLARtweets @folarorg

Upper River

April 13th, 2019

Middle River

April 20th, 2019

Lower River

April 27th, 2019

Online registration opens in March 2019

Want to contribute to a healthy and thriving River for the benefit of all Angelenos and urban wildlife? Join FoLAR next Earth Month for the 30th Anniversary of our yearly Great LA River CleanUp and be a part of the

nation’s largest urban river cleanup effort!

2019 will be our 30th Annual Great LA River CleanUp

FRIENDS OF THE

LA RIVER