Community Sailing Event in MacArthur Park

April 10, 2014 - PRLog -- Los Angeles, CA (April 10, 2014) – On Thursday, April 17, Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) middle and high school students will launch a sailboat on the lake in neighboring MacArthur Park. The students have spent the last three months building the boat (an International Optimist) as part of one of several leadership classes offered at HOLA. This is the third boat built by HOLA students participating in the LifeSail class taught by Matt Schulz, founder and president of the non-profit LifeSail, Inc. The goal of the class is to help the students develop motivation, teamwork and leadership skills through the building of the boat. The launch is scheduled for 2:00 pm at the boathouse dock in MacArthur Park and is open to the community.

"The boat launch has become a wonderful annual community event. Watching the kids as they experience the beauty and wonder of small boat sailing in our own back yard is truly inspirational. This class brings the older, more experienced students together with the younger ones to learn from each other. In addition to learning leadership skills, during the course of the class, the kids are learning about a number of STEM related subjects, including physics, engineering and marine geology," said Loren Rubin, HOLA’s Director of Leadership & Summer Programs. Tony Brown, HOLA’s Executive Director, stated that “this is the third year we will be bringing the community together, returning sailboats to the MacArthur Park Lake, and we are grateful to our partners at the Los Angeles Department of Recreation & Parks for their ongoing support.”


Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA)

In neighborhoods often overrun by poverty, crime and a feeling of hopelessness, Heart of Los Angeles invests in youth to build stronger communities. Heart of Los Angeles gives some of the city’s most vulnerable youth a chance to succeed in life. From what started 25 years ago with just a handful of kids in a dilapidated gym, Heart of Los Angeles now serves over 2,400 youth ages 6-24, in a safe and supportive environment. HOLA provides underserved youth with exceptional programs in academics, arts and athletics within a nurturing environment, empowering them to develop their potential, pursue their education and strengthen their communities.


LifeSail

LifeSail’s mission is to provide character-building activities to the underprivileged and disadvantaged through the art of sailing and seamanship. LifeSail’s aim is to develop life skills of students of all ages as they are educated in the theory and practice of dinghy and keelboat sailing. Programs focus on team building, ownership, and personal responsibility, as well as teaching water safety and respect for the marine environment.