Employees continue annual charitable tradition at Santa Monica facility

Canyon Capital Realty Advisors (CCRA) helped kick off this year’s holiday season for children activities at the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Monica. On Wednesday, December 9, more than 125 children gathered at the Boys & Girls Club for a pizza and cupcake party, where CCRA employees distributed pairs of TOM’s tennis shoes to all party guests. At the end of the evening, CCRA Managing Partner Bobby Turner also presented a check totaling $30,505, which represented the generous donations of CCRA employees, business associates and friends.
The non-profit Boys & Girls Club, founded in Santa Monica more than 60 years ago, strives to enable all young people, especially those with the greatest needs, to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens. Programs in Santa Monica are offered at two branch locations, and at Santa Monica High, John Adams and Lincoln Middle Schools, and McKinley and Roosevelt Elementary Schools.
The shoes and donation were given in support of the Family Assistance Program at the Santa Monica Boys & Girls Club. Each year, the program provides the most deserving families with food, clothing and presents. For many families, being a recipient of the Family Assistance Fund is the only time they will receive new clothes or toys throughout the year.
“Our annual holiday visit to the Santa Monica Boys and Girls club has become a wonderful tradition for Canyon, and we are thrilled to support an organization that works so hard to improve the lives of young people,” said Turner. “This year in particular, resources are strained for families across Los Angeles and the needs of the community are greater than ever. We are thrilled to bring a bit of cheer into the lives of these children and make their holidays a little brighter.”
“For two years running, Canyon has helped create a fun and energetic event that is a highlight of the holiday season at the Boys & Girls Club,” said Aaron Young, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Santa Monica Boys & Girls Club. “These economic times have put tremendous pressure on many families whose children are involved in the club. Now, more than in years past, the tennis shoes and Canyon’s generous donation will make a meaningful difference in the lives of these children.”
About the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Monica
Founded in 1944, Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica currently serves approximately 7,000 youth through memberships and community outreach. They come from all over Los Angeles County, largely from Santa Monica, Venice, West Los Angeles and Inglewood. Members pay a $10 annual fee for access to all Club amenities and programs that span across education, leadership, recreation and more.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica operates with the objective of serving children from all backgrounds, regardless of economic circumstances - ensuring that youth ages 7 to 18 have a safe and nurturing environment to develop socially, succeed in school, stay physically active and prepare for positive futures.

SOURCE Canyon Capital Realty Advisors LLC

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Veteran creative strategist Marlene Byrne today announced that her fourth book in the Project Play children’s series, which aims to inspire child education to get back outdoors for good, old-fashioned playtime, is now available.

Starring Sam and the adventurous Edgebrook gang, Kick the Can is Byrne’s first paperback, chapter-style story in the Project Play (www.ProjectPlayBooks.com) series, which debuted in 2008 with Treasure Hunt, Follow the Leader, and Just a Baseball Game. The new book continues the series’ mission of encouraging timeless, backyard games to children as the characters engage in “kick the can” after sundown at the neighborhood block party.

“I grew up in a small town in Wisconsin, where playing games like ‘kick the can’ and ‘ghosts in the graveyard’ was the norm,” said Byrne. “But after pondering the fading popularity of these games today, I began searching for a way to bring back the carefree days of our youth.”

The mother of two young children, Byrne realized that electronic models of play, organized sports and extra-curricular activities were quickly taking over classic, backyard games. And while she does not condemn video games and team sports, she questions the percentage of time spent and precedence families place on these activities over simple backyard fun.

“Our children are growing up in a generation in which parents, teachers, and coaches tell them how, where, and when to do everything,” said Byrne. “Although our culture tends to place the most value on academic achievement or athletic success, unstructured playtime is crucial to a child’s cognitive development.”

Source: Project Play

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Headed to the beach this summer? You may want to bring back something to remember the trip without it getting in your carpet. While you’re at the beach, your children can have fun with sand pictures they create with found items on the shore.

Take along some shallow bowls or dishes that your children can place wet sand in. Then go with them as they search the beach for pieces of driftwood, shells, rocks, or other items. These will be perfect for creating sand pictures.

Using the sand as a canvas, your child can create pictures with the items they found. Two small stones can be eyes, and a stick can be the mouth or a nose. Let them use their imagination. You may be amazed at what they come up with.

Help your child create a mini garden in much the same way. They can create buildings, walk ways, and an actual garden with little flowers. When they’ve finished creating, they can choose to remove the found items and start again, or you can take a picture of their masterpiece to save for posterity.

Another way to have fun with sand pictures is to use the sand and glue to create images. Here’s what you’ll need:

* Dry sand from the beach (or you can purchase some at a home improvement store)
* Pencil
* Glue
* Construction paper
* Tray to keep the sand contained

Have your child draw a picture on a sheet of construction paper. Let them choose the subject of the drawing, but they may want to use water-related items since they will be using sand in the picture. Place the paper on the tray so the sand will be easy to clean up and so the glue won’t shift when it’s time to add the sand.

Using plain school glue, let the children “draw” by covering the lines of the picture with glue. Have them shake a spoonful of sand onto the glue and shake it over the paper. Continue shaking more sand over the paper until all of the glue is covered. Tell them to carefully shake the paper to remove the excess sand but to be careful because the glue is still wet.

Your child will want to allow the glue on the picture to dry over night. In the morning, they may want to draw other items on the picture or add stickers to it. When they’re satisfied with the way their picture looks, it can be framed and hung on display.

If your family is planning a trip to the beach this summer, you’ll undoubtedly take photos to remember the trip. Your children, however, can take items they find, along with sand from the shore, to create pictures in the sand. They can also create fun with sand pictures that can be displayed in your home. In either case, you’ll remember the fun you had, thanks to your child’s creativity. This is truly one good children activities to do for summer.

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You may have heard, or even said the phrase, “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.” With warmer weather it’s time for summer fun. Learn how to make your own ice cream by following one of these recipes for kids for home-made ice cream.

Custard-based recipe

There are two basic recipes to make an ice cream base. If you don’t mind cooking the base ingredients before freezing, you may want to try this custard-based recipe:

4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
Pinch of salt

Begin by beating the first three ingredients until they are pale and yellow, then set them aside. Combine the rest of the ingredients, minus 1/2 cup milk, in a medium saucepan. Cook this over medium until it begins to simmer, about 5 minutes. Let the mixture almost boil but do not let it boil. Remove it from the heat and set it aside.

Put two handfuls of ice into a large bowl and fill it with water to cover. Gradually pour the warm milk into the eggs, whisking constantly and then pour it back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat and stir constantly until it has thickened, about 5-10 minutes. Remove it from the heat and then pour in the remaining milk.

Pour the mixture into a medium bowl and put it in the ice bath. Continue stirring until the mixture is chilled. For the best results, let the mixture chill for 4 hours, or you can pour the chilled mixture into the ice cream maker and let the machine do the rest of the work.

No-cook version

For people who prefer not to wait the amount of time it takes for the custard-base, you may want to try the no-cook version:

2 cups heavy cream, well chilled
1 cup whole milk, well chilled
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour it all into an ice cream maker and follow the instructions given by the manufacturer. Before long you’ll have ice cream the whole family can enjoy. The ice cream will be soft-set, but you can firm it up by putting it in the freezer for two hours before eating.

Add-ins

Starting with either of these base recipes you can create nearly any ice cream you might want. Here are five ideas your family may enjoy:

* 1 cup finely diced overripe strawberries or peaches
* 1 cup crushed peppermint candy
* Chocolate chips
* Chopped peppermint patties
* Chunks of cookie dough

You’ll want to add fruit ingredients during the last 5 to 10 minutes of the freezing process. The chips, peppermint patties, and cookie dough would be added after the freezing process so they can be evenly dispersed.

Decorate the ice cream with additional fresh fruit, chocolate syrup, or slivered almonds. You can also place some of the ice cream between two cookies to make your own version of an ice cream cookie. The options are endless and every one is sure to be a taste sensation!

Summer is the perfect time to make your own ice cream. Summer fun, in fact, wouldn’t be the same without ice cream. Use one of the recipes, put in some add-ins, and then enjoy a taste of summer.

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Childhood obesity is a concern for parents and health professionals alike. In an effort to combat it, doctors recommend making sure your young children learn to be active at an early age so they’ll continue being active as they age. Teach your child these eight fun games for preschoolers to keep them active.

1. Hopscotch is a game that children have played for years. Draw a pattern of eight to twelve squares on the sidewalk with chalk. The children will place a rock or button in the first square, hop over the square with the rock, and then jump in the rest in sequence. At the end they’ll turn around and return, picking up their rock on the way. They’ll try to get the rock in each square until they get to the last one. They lose their turn if they step in the square with the rock.

2. Duck Duck Goose is another game you can play with your preschooler. Start with friends, family, or stuffed animals, sitting in a circle. One person is chosen as “It” to go around the circle, tapping each person on the head as they say “duck.” When they say the word “goose” that person gets up and chases them around back to their place, and they become it.

3. Most children have played Simon Says before. A group of children, or adults, stands in a line and “Simon” gives them instructions. As long as the phrase “Simon says” is given before the instruction, the group does what Simon says. If Simon says to do something but fails to say “Simon says,” the person who still does it is out. This continues until only one person is left and they then become Simon.

4. Tag is another game that’ll get your preschooler moving. Several children are chased by one child who is “It.” This child will try to tag the others, which will make the tagged child it. The children can play for as long as they’re having fun.

5. Bug Hunt is a game you may not know. Find pictures of bugs (ladybugs, ants, crickets, butterflies, etc.) and glue them to index cards. Give each child two or three cards and let them try to find those bugs.

6. Traffic Light (Red Light, Green Light) is a game where children are lined up on one end of a yard and another child plays the “stop light.” As soon as that child turns away from the others and yells “green light,” the other children move forward and try to reach him. The children must stop when the stop light turns and says “red light.” The child that reaches the stop light first then becomes it.

7. Help your child with a Treasure Hunt. Hide a gift and then create a treasure hunt where they’ll have to go around the yard or house, go through boxes, up and down stairs, to find their treasure.

8. Musical Chairs is another game that children love to play. Of course you’ll want to have a number of children (or adults) to play, as well. A circle of chairs are placed in a room, seats facing outwards, with one less chair than the number of children. Music starts and the children walk around the chairs; when the music stops the children try to find a seat. The one left standing is out, another chair is taken, and the music begins again.

Take time to play any of these eight fun games for preschoolers to keep them active. You’ll both have fun and your child will learn how to remain active and fight obesity.

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