The largest gathering of sports and fitness groups in Central Texas is mobilizing this Saturday, July 17, to inspire Hispanic families to lead healthier lifestyles. Athletes from the Austin Aztex, the Austin Toros, the Round Rock Express, and the Texas Stars, along with 150 fitness guides, wellness specialists, counselors, and non-profit representatives, will be at the Fitness Feria to help encourage children to get active. Hispanics are the target of this fitness fair because they are … [Read more...]
El Ranchito: Teaching urban kids the beauty of nature
Nature—we’ve all experienced it. We feel calmness and a sense of freedom from the cares of everyday life when we’re surrounded by it. Birds welcoming the morning; cicadas singing through the night. When immersed in it, something about it moves us to enjoy profound breaths which, unbeknownst to us, reconnect us to the surrounding beautiful world. Just last week, Austin urban children had this experience at El Ranchito. In its fourth year of existence, El Ranchito, a nature-immersion summer … [Read more...]
Double Portion ready for inspirational summer series conference
Gospel R&B recording artists James Roy and John Troy Jacobs, from Double Portion, begin their empowering summer calendar at the South Park Inspirational Concert Series starting Sunday, June 27, followed by the 9th annual Hero Project youth and young adult conference. South Park Inspirational Concert Series is a free event at the Grove on the last Sunday of each summer month, starting June and ending August. “The artists were either hand-picked by Double Portion because of their … [Read more...]
Big Brother & Little Brother Austinites Revisit White House
Austin attorney and Big Brother mentor Ben De Leon and his little brother for five years, Anthony Saldana, have been invited to attend an event on mentoring at the White House on Monday, June 21, 2010. This is not the first time the pair has been invited to meet with President Obama. After winning the 2009 Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) National Big Brother of the Year award, De Leon and Saldana traveled to the White House earlier this year to help promote January as National Mentoring … [Read more...]
$10.5M multi-use indoor sports facility planned for East Austin
Developers plan to bring jobs, an anticipated $2 million dollars in revenue a year, as well as a healthier lifestyle and a safe place to play, to the East Austin community. The Central Texas Sports Alliance (CTSA) plans to start building an indoor/outdoor multi-use sports facility on a large plot of land on Springdale Road, between 51st Street and Manor Road, in a few months. The project could cost anywhere from $7.9 to $10.5 million, depending on amenities. Developers have built similar … [Read more...]
Pachanga Latino Music Festival 2010
The Pachanga Latino Music Festival, which took place on Saturday, May 22 at Fiesta Gardens in East Austin, was a lively party indeed. Now in its third year, the event had a stellar lineup, including local and international acts ranging from DJs to mariachis and traditional Tejano to electronica infused with Latin sounds. There was something for everyone at this family-friendly event, including the Ninos Rock Pachanga tent, where local artists Vallejo, David Garza, Brian Ramos, and Hayden Vitera … [Read more...]
El Buen Samaritano, helping low-income families get healthy
As lawmakers and First Lady Michelle Obama implement changes impacting health care and childhood obesity issues across the nation, a South Austin nonprofit continues to tackle these very issues on a local level, as it has been for quite some time now. El Buen Samaritano Episcopal Mission, a nonprofit committed to helping low-income families in need of help lead healthy and productive lives, has provided health care services and health and wellness programs to uninsured families living in … [Read more...]
Anthropos Arts: Bringing the benefits of music to all students
Tunes from Jazz to Meringue were heard in the Stubb’s Amphitheater on Sunday, May 16, as students from 12 different schools in the Austin area participated in the 11th Annual Student/Mentor Concert. Students participating in the Anthropos Arts program showed their skills as they improvised solos alongside their mentors at their end-of-the-year performance. The Anthropos Arts program organizes instructors from college professors to Grammy-winning performers to work with students on an … [Read more...]
Youth Voices = Social Justice + Hip Hop + Creative Youth
“Hip-hop is not just music, but a support system and a social structure that unifies youth culture.” – The Cipher, Austin’s Hip Hop Project In East Austin's Southwest Key Community Center over 100 people, diverse in age, race, and class, are bobbing their heads to the rhythm as youth from across Travis County "spit their truth". Amazing young poets and artists from The Cipher hip hop project, slam finalists from the Texas Youth Word Collective, and a new group called the Rhythm Writerz … [Read more...]
Music Mix to benefit fatherless young men
On Saturday, May 15, music artists from all different genres will come together at the Austin Baptist Association on 3811 Harmon Ave. to fundraise for Hungry for God Home, which works to redirect the lives of at-risk and homeless young men. “Today’s tough economic conditions make it difficult for the Hungry for God Home to meet needs without additional help,” said founder Pastor Larry Ball. Since 2003, Pastor Ball has personally housed over 300 young men. “Making better choices for better … [Read more...]
