Team AEG and LACC Get into the Spirit of Service

Dec 19, 2016

Once again, more than 300 AEG team members spent a day of service in the local community. Gathering at 49th Street Elementary School, right down the street from AEG’s headquarters in Downtown LA, team members spent the day beautifying the walls to foster a more nurturing environment for learning. 

The LA Kings, in particular, made sure to have a strong showing at AEG’s Service Day in honor of their Forever 50 Community Initiative. 

“Having the opportunity to give back is pretty special," says Luc Robitaille, President of the LA Kings. "I hope that later in life, the kids will think back and remember when we came to their school – then they might pay it forward one day too and help make a difference." 

As usual, on top of a day of service, AEG also donated $10,000 to 49th Street Elementary School in the hopes of providing vital resources for the 800 students served by the facility. Click here for ABC7’s coverage of Service Day​. 

                 

Meanwhile, across town, Team LACC spent a day of service with the Downtown Women’s Center. It was their first ever Service Day and it was undoubtedly a new tradition in the making. 

Since the LACC is such a staple of Downtown LA, the facility made it their mission to give back to their local community. 

“As a proud Downtown LA facility, the LACC Service Day echoed our commitment to the Downtown LA community,” shares Brad Gessner, General Manager of the Los Angeles Convention Center and Senior Vice President of AEG Facilities. 
The LACC chose the Downtown Women’s Center for their Service Day because their aim is to end homelessness in the city. Their mission and story of compassion truly resonated with the team at LACC. 

“The Downtown Women’s Center is offering more than a home – they offer respect and acknowledgement. I have great admiration for the team at Downtown Women’s Center and was proud to be a part of this service day,” adds Gessner. 
About thirty LACC and Levy Restaurants employees participated in the Service Day. At the Downtown Women’s Center, everyone split into three groups, where they focused on one task. Group A was in charge of creating chicken enchiladas from scratch, which would later be served buffet style to about 200 women. Groups B and C handled donation sorting, an especially important task this time of year due to the volume of donations coming in. 

Overall, the day was incredibly impactful to the LACC and Levy teams. Working side-by-side in such an important facility served to be a truly rewarding and eye-opening experience for team members. 

“It was a beautiful experience. The Downtown Women’s Center is an inspiring organization, especialy for what they are doing for the future and rehabilitation of these women,” says Juliana Vasquez, Senior Catering Manager at Levy Restaurants. “I was humbled and honored to be a part of the cooking team, where I could interact with the women who live there and share a home cooked meal.” 

                             

   (Before)                                                                  (After)

“Being a part of the LACC Service Day was truly thought-provoking and moving. Helping with donation sorting at their retail store gave me an inside look at where and how clothes donations can make an impact. It opened my eyes to effective donating,” explains Alexa Diaz, Marketing and Community Relations Specialist at LACC. 

“I think LACC’s first Service Day was a huge success. I learned that 90% of the women seeking assistance at the Downtown Women’s Center are suffering from trauma. The DWC is one of the few women-only centers in Los Angeles and serves as an invaluable resource/haven for these women by providing services such as housing, healthcare, and job training,” concludes Michele Chang, Sales Coordinator at LACC. “I was so proud and filled with gratitude to be on the LACC team cooking for and serving the women of DWC.”