Two events that directly affect the quality of education for San Pedro students are selling tickets now and could really use your support.
It’s not just about raising money. It’s about raising the bar for what our kids can dream of and achieve.
SAN PEDRO EDUCATION FOUNDATION: A NIGHT OF SIPS, SOUNDS, AND STUDENT SUCCESS
So many born-and-raised San Pedrans had their first jobs at Ports O’ Call Village and remember those times fondly. The legacy continues with West Harbor hosting this year’s Sips & Sounds fundraiser, with a behind-the-scenes update on what’s underway along the Los Angeles Waterfront.
Presented by the San Pedro Education Foundation and now in its third year, this Sips & Sounds event combines live music, cocktails, and catered cuisine with a heartfelt mission: to provide every San Pedro student with the tools and opportunities they need to thrive.
More than just a celebration, Sips & Sounds is a catalyst for change. The event directly supports programs that go beyond textbooks, fueling hands-on science education, next-generation and tech initiatives, inclusive learning tools for students with special needs, innovative teacher training, and classroom grants that bring big ideas to life.
But perhaps the most touching part of the evening? Dinner will be prepared and served by the incredible students of Willenberg Special Education Center. For them, the event offers more than experience; it’s a moment of pride, visibility, accomplishment, and belonging.
The foundation is already in motion. In just the past year, donor support helped:
• Rebuild Cabrillo Elementary’s library after flood damage
• Send White Point 5th graders to Emerald Bay for hands-on field science
• Provide adaptive PE equipment at Park Western Place Elementary
• Fund sensory-friendly seating for special education students at Barton Hill
• Outfit San Pedro High athletes with state-of-the-art football helmets
• Launch the Pedro Pen Writing Contest, the foundation’s first writing competition, awarding scholarships and publishing student authors in San Pedro Today.
For one evening, a ticket to Sips & Sounds is more than access to an unforgettable waterfront party; it’s a statement that San Pedro believes in its students—all of them.
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF LA HARBOR: BIDS FOR KIDS—UNDER THE SEA
On September 27, the Bids for Kids gala returns as the signature fundraising event for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor (BGCLAH). Hosted at the Torrance Marriott Redondo Beach, the night will bring together community champions, local leaders, and longtime supporters for an evening of dinner, auction, and purpose, all benefiting the 13,000 members served by the Club.
For nearly 90 years, BGCLAH has served as a lighthouse for young people in San Pedro, Wilmington, Harbor City, Lomita, and the Harbor Gateway. Today, with 25 sites and 2,800 kids coming through its doors daily, the Club’s reach is both deep and wide.
What they offer is more than a safe space; it’s a launchpad. With robust after-school programs, academic support, arts education, and athletics, BGCLAH gives kids, especially those facing the toughest odds, the tools to rise.
And the results speak for themselves:
• 98.5% of students in the Club’s College Bound program graduate high school.
• 96% of those graduates went on to college last fall.
• Career Bound is placing more young people in the trades than any other program, leading to union jobs that have literally built this community.
That’s not just impact—it’s transformation.
But this year, the Club faces one of its toughest challenges yet. With reduced public funding and a growing pool of charitable dollars being allocated to wildfire relief efforts in the Palisades and surrounding areas, BGCLAH must raise an additional $1 million to keep pace with the demand and ensure that no student is turned away.
That’s what makes Bids for Kids more than a celebration—it’s a lifeline.
If ever there was a moment to show up for Harbor youth, it’s now. Please consider joining me on one or both nights. Or, even better, consider donating to these organizations by visiting their websites: San Pedro Education Foundation (sanpedroeducationfoundation.org/events) and Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor (bgclaharbor.org/events). spt
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