Some of you may know about the current predicament of the world-famous Hollywood sign. In short: The Trust for Pubic Land (TPL) needs to raise $12.5M in order to preserve the 138 acres of land located directly behind the Hollywood sign called the Cahuenga Peak. As of today, they are $1.5M short of their goal, so the sign is still in jeopardy of being torn down and developed into any number of things, including a hotel a rather brilliant design concocted by a Danish architect who would like to turn our beloved pile of plywood into a Euro hotspot. Originally the deadline for the funds was set for April 14, but has been extended until April 30 which gives anyone who would like to donate until the end of this month to save this historical landmark. There have been a ton of grass roots efforts to save the sign, and tons of education through social media groups like the ‘Save Hollywood’ Twitter and Facebook pages.
I myself have a very personal attachment to this particular landmark in Los Angeles; the biggest reason being, it’s iconic and larger than life a characteristic indicative of Angelenos everywhere. People travel from far-and-wide to catch a glimpse of this rickety old sign.Why? Because it’s cool, it’s part of the LA culture and has an insane history to back it up.
Once upon a time after a night of drinking at El Cid, and an after party at my little studio is K-town some friends & family (mostly family) partook in a little shenanigans. Translation: a little too much absinthe. We decided that it would be a good idea if at 6am when the store opened, we picked up a couple 12-packs of beer and make our way up tot he Hollywood sign to watch the sunrise. What transpired next is now legend (in our minds), a night that ended at daybreak when confused early-morning hikers watched us attempt to maneuver down their very narrow hiking path in our very large SUV. I can’t tell you how we actually made it UP the hill and what happened once we got there. For that information, I would have to kill you. Let’s just say it involved lots of video cameras, a bulldozer and a one-legged man on a bike. I’m so not kidding.
If you are interested in making a donation to Save the Cahuenga Peak, you can do so here. For the old schoolers who don’t believe in online donations or want to know exactly where their money is going (a novel idea), you can refer to the following:
[via http://www.savehollywoodland.org/ ]
For questions, please email Rosemary Carroll or call 1-800-714-LAND (x340)
If you would prefer to mail your donation, please print this form and mail to:
Campaign to Save Cahuenga Peak
Los Angeles River Center
570 West Avenue 26, Suite 300
Los Angeles, CA 90065
Please note on your check that your gift is for Cahuenga Peak.
PS – If you want the rest of my Hollywood sign story, buy me a beer or two the next time you see me out. I’m easily bribed.
*Note to self: Next time I see Aunny, bring beer. Ask Hollywood sign story.