Surfers launch Karmaky.com to encourage acts of kindness
A group of South Bay professional surfers, organized by a local realtor who surfs, have established a website called Karmaky.com to encourage people to perform good deeds.
Visitors to the web site who describe acts of kindness they have performed are sent a Karmaky T-shirt and a Karmaky bracelet, which resembles a name bracelet with a leather wrist band. Visitors who want to encourage acts of kindness are asked to purchase the T-shirts and bracelets, for donation to the performers of the good deeds, and to make the site self-sustaining.
Realtor Sean Goodsell launched the site at the start of September with a group of fellow surfers, including Body Glove team rider Matt Pagan and team manager Matt Chernega, Tavarua lifeguard and boat driver Jason Napolitano, Los Angeles County Lifeguard Spencer Parker and Camp Surf instructor Tommy Ostendorf.
Goodsell enlisted the surfers because of their previous history of charitable work, ranging from teaching autistic kids to surf to helping Fijian villagers.
In the site’s first four weeks, more than 200 people recorded their acts of kindness, Goodsell said.
Acts of kindness described on the web site and its Face Book page cover a broad spectrum, from buying a poor family tickets to a botanical garden exhibit, to volunteering at a Santa Monica Baykeepers sea urchin display.
“The act doesn’t have to be financial. Some people have money, but no time to give. Some have time, but no money,” Goodsell said. “Small, big, it doesn’t matter. It’s not so much the act, it’s more the concept of doing something for someone else that’s important.”
“I used to give money and Starbucks cards to the homeless and people looking for work. I wanted to expand on that,” Goodsell said in explaining why he founded the site.
“We’ve found that people are more inclined to do good deeds if they are part of a group. Once people write about one good deed, they keep coming back to the site to write about more good deeds they’ve done,” he said.
“My hope is that people will see others wearing Karmaky bracelets and T-shirts and out of curiosity visit the Karmaky and Face Book page. There, they’ll be encouraged to become part of the movement,” Goodsell said.
For more information visit Karmaky.com.
Body Glove wins Transworld Imaginarium video contest
“8 bit,” a video by Body Glove, which weaves live surfing into a Mario Brothers-like video game, has won the TransWorld Surf Second Annual Imaginarium Video and Photo Contest. The video opens with surfers Shane Magnusson, Jamie O’Brien, Alex Gray and Justin Quirk leaving the Dive N’ Surf store and wandering down to the Redondo Fun Factory arcade, where they find themselves sliding through chutes leading to increasingly more difficult levels of surfing. Body Glove videographer’s Greg Browning and Scott Smith and photographers John Ho, Eric Warner, John De Temple were competing against teams from Reef, Rusty and Billabong. “8 Bit” led the online voting with 63 percent of the votes. The video can be seen at surf.transworld.net/2011-imaginarium
Bread for schools
Manhattan Bread & Bagel has begun its Fourth Annual School Gift Card Sale Contest. Schools will receive $10 from each $100 gift card that their parents purchase. In addition, three schools, selected by a drawing, will receive $50 for every $100 gift card purchased in the school’s name. The contest runs through the end of October. A second drawing will be held for three schools to receive a bagel and cheese breakfast for every student. Last year’s gift card sales generated $16,000 for local schools. Manhattan Bread & Bagel is located at 1812 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Manhattan Beach.
The cellist and the general
Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, actress Betty White and General Stanley McChrystal are among the speakers who will address Distinguished Speaker Series subscribers this season, co-owner Kathy Winterhalder announced this week.
Best selling financial writer Suze Orman opens the series on Oct. 5. Other speakers are actress White on October 7, President Obama advisor David Axelrod on Jan. 9, Pulitzer Prize winning columnist Charles Krauthammer on Feb. 20, General McChrystal on March 12, cellist Ma on April 2 and Blue Zones author Dan Buettner on May 21. The lectures are presented at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center. For more information visit SpeakersLA.com.
Wahoo lands one in Redondo
Wahoo’s Fish Taco has announced plans to open a new location at 1767 S. Elena St. in Riviera village. The restaurant will feature Wahoo’s eclectic Mexican/Brazilian/Asian menu with a Hawaiian North Shore influence, according to franchisee Chris Bredesen.
Since its founding in 1988 by the Brazilian-born Wing, Ed and Mingo Lam brothers, Wahoo has grown to more than 60 locations throughout California, Colorado, Texas and Hawaii. For more information visit Wahoos.com.
Octagon classes in Torrance
UFC Gym will open a 40,000-square-foot facility at the Torrance Promenade in early 2012. In addition the equipment seen in traditional fitness facilities, the gym will offer training in Muay Thai kickboxing, jiu jitsu, self-defense classes, and team-oriented Daily Ultimate Training. Facilities will include a 32-foot Octagon, a UFC Kid’s Gym Fitness. The gym is located at 19800 Hawthorne Blvd. For more information visit UFCGymTorrance.com.
Torrance a friendly finalist
Torrance has been named a finalist among cities with populations over 60,000 for the Most Business-Friendly City in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC).
Torrance was recognized for its commitment to economic development. The city has an Economic Development Element in its General Plan, an aggressive economic development office, expedited-plan checks, preliminary-plan reviews, a new permit center, an ombudsman, online project status tracking, and permit-process flow charts to help businesses better understand city processes. Torrance was a “Most Business Friendly City” finalist in 2009 and 2010. ER