Hello Long Beach! Kick off the week of April 17th with these local news highlights.
Grand Prix Foundation awards scholarships to 8 LBSUD high school seniors
The Robert E. Leslie Memorial Scholarship, given out by the Grand Prix Foundation, provides graduating high school seniors with a $1,500 grant every Spring. This year, 8 students were selected from Poly High School, the California Academy of Mathematics and Science (CAMS), and St. Anthony High School. These grants are unrestricted, which allows students to use the money for whatever they need to prepare for college. The foundation raises money for grants through a series of charity events including the Grand Prix 5k run, which took place April 2nd and saw over 1,000 participants this year. Other charity events have included golf tournaments, casino nights, and charity balls that take place in the months leading up to the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Students will receive their awards on May 11 at a reception, during which the Grand Prix Foundation will announce a new partnership with Long Beach City College to support the next generation of automotive trade professionals.
City hosting homeless donation drive-thru event Saturday, April 29
The city of Long Beach is hosting monthly donation events to collect necessities for people experiencing homelessness. A donation drive-thru will be taking place next Saturday, April 29, at the Department of Health and Human Services located at 2525 Grand Ave from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Items that the donation event aims to collect include hygiene kits, blankets, pet food, sealed food items, and new and gently used clothing. Last month’s donation efforts saw the supply of over 7,000 items from both the March donation drive-thru and donation bins at designated drop-off locations throughout the city. Community members interested in being involved in upcoming volunteer events can find more information on the city’s website under the Volunteer, Donate and Get Involved tab. To learn more about the drive-thru event and to see a complete list of donatable items, click here.
All Long Beach public libraries to close for a full day Friday, April 21
All Long Beach library locations will be closed the entire day on Friday, April 21 for a dedicated day of staff training. There will be no impacts to programs or events due to the closure and outdoor book returns will still be available at all locations for those needing to give back borrowed items. All libraries will reopen the following day at 10 a.m., but in the meantime during their closure, the Long Beach public libraries encourage patrons to visit libraries in neighboring cities or access the Long Beach libraries’ digital resources. The digital resources offer reading material, movies, classes, research databases, audiobooks, resume tips, and more. They are free to use with a Long Beach Public Library card and are available in both English and Spanish. Learn more here.
Local non-profit assists first-generation students to work toward a college education
Operation Jump Start, a local non-profit organization, aims to assist low-income 1st generation students in Long Beach ages 13 through 23 to work toward a college education. The non-profit works with students in the city by providing free resources such as tutoring, mentoring, and college assistance and information sessions. Students in the Long Beach Unified School District can begin enrolling as early as their eighth-grade year. To be a part of the program, students and their parent/guardian must complete an online application, which is followed by a short interview to assess their needs and ensure that they qualify for assistance. Students will also need to attend an orientation to learn about the program and work with the non-profit’s team to create an educational schedule. To learn more about the organization, click here. To learn more, click here (subscription to Press-Telegram required).
Seventh Annual “Touch-a-Truck” seeks food and book donations at event
100 large trucks, tractors, military, public safety, and construction vehicles will be on display Sunday, May 7th at the 7th annual “Touch-a-Truck” event that will occur from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is hosted by Justin Rudd, a community outreach figure in the city of Long Beach, who grew up in Alabama where “touch-a-truck” events are common. This year, Rudd is encouraging attendees to donate food—specifically, jars of peanut butter and canned tuna to give to local food banks. The event will also be accepting kids’ books donations. Due to high attendance rates at past Touch-a-Truck events, Rudd’s community team encourages attendees to arrive at the event in alternative forms of transportation, as parking is very limited. Those who are interested in going to the event can register here. More information about the event can be found here.
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