Cypress Park-based Friends of the Los Angeles River is back with its annual Great LA River Cleanup, running two Saturdays in October.
Volunteers can help pick up litter and debris at four sites this year: the Willow Street Bridge in Long Beach and Steelhead Park in Elysian Valley on Oct. 3, and the Sepulveda Basin in Encino, Compton Creek in Compton and Steelhead Park again on Oct. 10.
Volunteers will be provided supplies to help search for and remove trash along the rivers, which prevents it from being dragged into the ocean and frees up area for wildlife and foliage to thrive.
The nonprofit accepts volunteers free of charge but also accepts donations (both at folar.org/cleanup) in furtherance of its mission to enhance and preserve the L.A. River, particularly during the onslaught of climate change.
I’ll be volunteering both weekends close to my end of town, at the Willow Street Bridge and then at Compton Creek. Hopefully I’ll meet some of our readers at this event.
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The Catalina Island Film Festival returns for a 16th year on Sept. 25-27.
On opening night, filmmaker Catherine Hardwicke will be honored with a career tribute on opening night, followed by a screening of her latest, “Street Smart.”
Also on the billing is a midnight horror and thriller screening series in tribute to filmmaker Wes Craven, a pitch session inviting attendees to pitch their feature ideas to financiers and other industry professionals, and a Sunday masterclass discussion with a variety of filmmakers.
The festival continues after its in-person activities in Avalon end, with a digital program running through Oct. 4.
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FosterMore, an L.A. nonprofit which supports the foster care system and foster opportunities, has its annual fundraiser coming up as well.
On Sept. 27 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre, the Hollywood Rush is a one-night presentation of stage productions.
The night before, features theater writers receive their prompts and spend the night workshopping them into scripts. Directors take control the next day and work with actors to get them stage-ready for the audience that evening.
