LA To Hold Five Cleanup Events Saturday In Honor Of Former Councilman Tom LaBonge
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Five "Tom LaBonge Day of Service" cleanup events will be held on Saturday around Los Angeles in honor of the former councilman.
The event will begin with speeches at 8:45 a.m. and the cleanups will start at 9:20 a.m.
The cleanup locations are:
- Silver Lake Meadows, at 2300 Silver Lake Blvd., where Mayor Eric Garcetti, Councilman Mitch O'Farrell, LaBonge's widow Brigid LaBonge and Nelson Mejia of the Department of Water and Power will speak to kickoff the cleanup;
- Griffith Park Trails Cafe, at 2333 Fern Dell Drive, where City Attorney Mike Feuer, Controller Ron Galperin, Councilwoman Nithya Raman and Board of Public Works President Greg Good will speak to kickoff the cleanup;
- The Watts Towers, at 1765 E. 107th St., where Councilman Monica Rodriguez and Board of Public Works President Pro Tempore Mike Davis will speak to kickoff the cleanup;
- Algin Sutton Park in Vermont Vista, at 8800 S. Hoover St., where Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson, L.A. Civil Rights Executive Director Capri Maddox and Recreation and Parks General Manager Mike Shull will speak to kickoff the cleanup; and
- Victory Outreach Church in North Hollywood, where Councilman Paul Krekorian and Pastor Raymond Solorzano will speak to kickoff the cleanup.
The event will celebrate what would have been LaBonge's 68th birthday on Wednesday.
The former city councilman, known as "Mr. Los Angeles," died on Jan. 7, 2021.
LaBonge represented L.A.'s Fourth District from 2001 to 2015. The district includes Koreatown, the Fairfax District, Hollywood and Los Feliz.
During his tenure on the council, he helped expand Griffith Park, oversaw the restoration and expansion of the Griffith Observatory, and helped create the Fallen Firefighter Memorial in Hollywood.
He was known for his outsized personality, reflected in his deep knowledge of high school football teams, penchant for big hugs and love of classic Los Angeles institutions, including Pink's Hot Dogs, along with his hands-on approach to serving constituents.
He was frequently spotted hiking through Griffith Park.
On June 30, 2015, his final day on the City Council, his colleagues designated the intersection of Tracy and St. George streets in front of John Marshall High School in Los Feliz as Tom LaBonge Square for his contributions to his alma mater.
People who want to make a donation directly to the fund can do so at laparksfoundation.org.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
