Healthy Living Festival

Sunday May 16, 2010     Manhattan Beach CA  

GrowingGreat’s 4th Annual Healthy Living Festival inspired thousands on May 16 2010!  People came from all over Los Angeles to join the curious and the health conscious in Manhattan Beach.

Participants tasted delicious food samples from Whole Foods Market, Mucho, La Sirena, Fresh Brothers, Veggie Grill, Le Pain Quotidian, Farm Stand and Grow the Produce Shop. Kids bounced in Spectrum’s Fitness House, climbed Fulcrum’s rock wall, painted with Color Me Mine, competed in the hula hoop contest, and Kanga jumped around the festival.  Many planted in Surfrider’s Ocean Friendly Garden along with Deep Roots and Enviroscape teaching mini workshops “CPR for home gardens, native landscaping and water conservation techniques”.  Many holistic and integrative therapists (nutritionist, acupuncture, hands on healing or yoga therapists) were available to answer questions and sample treatments.  Truly a festival that embraced the entire community.

The Healthy Living Festival offered something for everyone! Cooking demos by Executive Chef and Founder Leaf Organics Rod Rotondi, GrowingGreat’s Board Members and Chefs Matt McMahon, Pamela Salzman and Simple Gourmet’s Melanie Barsuk inspired healthy eating.  Musicians, Leftover Cuties, YMPA’s Middle and High School Jazz Ensemble, Joe Cipolla and Yo-Yo Master, Grant Johnson dazzled and entertained the crowds! Pages the Bookstore, intoduced local authors Peggy Curry and Therese Trebaol, It’ Summer, What’s In Season Now?, Author’s Jayne West, The Lonesome Pine, and BJ Hicks Monsters Don’t eat Broccoli .

Overall the buzz and energy was incredible.  Participants, exhibitors and entertainers expressed gratitude for the wonderful service GrowingGreat provides to our community!

GrowingGreat truly feels blessed to live in such a progressive community, open to new ideas and healthy lifestyles.  For 10 years our community has supported our grassroots efforts to inspire children and adults to adopt healthy eating habits. All 5 MBUSD elementary schools implement our programs.  Today GrowingGreat has expanded our school garden and nutrition education programs into  25 elementary schools, 9 school districts in Los Angeles, Marin City, Ojai California and Oa’hu Hawaii!  We give thanks to the many families, individuals and businesses that continue to support our efforts.   We are most grateful to our community, our volunteers, partners, sponsors for their generosity and spirit. Thank you to all the many people who are catalysts creating healthy change not only for themselves, but for many underserved communities and families in need!

Thank you to all of our Sponsors and Partners who continue to Nourish us and help us GrowGreat….