Yelp Helps: NPO-Yeah!

A whole lot of warm and fuzzies to be had thanks to a heartwarming night celebrating local non-profits at Yelp Helps: NPO-Yeah! Maker City LA (11th floor of LA Mart in Downtown LA) transformed into a palooza of philanthropic proportions thanks to a gaggle of awesome organizations, businesses, and brands.

The night was a pure celebration of do-gooding as represented by some of our favorite 501c3s who took the opportunity to educate and drop knowledge on the Yelp Community in an inspiring way. Eagle Rock Yacht Club welcomed guests with a buffet of activities including complimentary screen printing, live typewriter poems inspired by the common good courtesy of Frankie Elliot, dodgeballing for prizes, and more! Pet-lovers got to play Pet-pardy (a trivia game) with spcaLA and proud pet parents posed for mug shots in front of NKLA's backdrop. Environmental enthusiasts learned how to reforest the city as a community with Tree People, snapped selfies at LA River Revitalization Corp's interactive LA River Regatta Club photobooth, saw the process Rescue, Recyle, Reuse uses to repurpose old coffee bags into reusable tote bags, and vote on their ideal way to reshape Los Angeles with LA2050. Improv abound thanks to The Unsual Suspects, who lit up the room with audience participation performances, and when they weren't being thespians, attendees hopped on the Do Good Bus photo opp, boasting how they'll be giving back in the near future. When do-gooders weren't spinning the "boobie wheel" at Busted Foundation's booth, they were getting handy CPR tips from American Heart Association and flexing their muscles with Special Olympics of Southern California. The natural writers that they are, yelpers were quick to contribute to 826LA's longest story in the world, while retail therapy for a purpose was provided thanks to the folks at Made by DWC. Needless to say, there was no shortage of good causes represented!

When not engaged with non-profits, you could find people indulging in awesome food and drinks, courtesy of our delectable friends! From samples of One Hope Wine to concocting their own Bombay Sapphire cocktails, whistles were surely whetted. Bubbles and sparkly were flowing thanks to Stella Rosa Wines, and the non-alcoholic category was dominated by TEAONIC's selection of herbal teas, good-for-you shots from Raw Cane SuperJuice, and iced and hot coffee numbers from DTLA's very own Barista Society Coffee Boutique and the man with a smile for days, Coffee by Kofi. Snack darlings KRAVE Jerky, Pretzel Crisps, and Late July Organic Snacks were on site, as well as Lamill coffee treats from Fluff Ice, toffee and caramels from The Copper Box Candy Company, full-size pastries from Copenhagen Pastry, truffles from The Velvet Rope Bake Shop, classic Greek pastries from Kou Kou Greek Fare, and cupcakes from Mwokaji Bakery. Sweet tooths were given a break thanks to savory menu items from Starry Kitchen (crab chili!), Bossa Nova (potato balls!), Juicy Lucy (sliders!), 88 Chinese & Sushi (sushi galore!), and Qdoba Mexican Grill (queso and chips!).

As if that wasn't enough, Art Rebel encouraged the group to "surrender" for gorgeous spin art creations. Bloom2Bloom handed out flower stems and vases (thanks Stella Rosa!) to promote flower power, Kasih Co-op displayed gorgeous jewlery, of which, a portion of the profits helps sponsor children's education, and TOMS spread the #beshady message for World Sight Day. Photography and videography wouldn't be possible without the generous folks from Unboxed Images. The reviews will melt your heart and the pics speak for themelves! We raised over $2500 that went to the two favorite non-profits of the night (as voted on by guests). Congrats to NKLA and Eagle Rock Yacht Club!

What a smashing night of volunteering, donating, and getting more involved!

Take a minute to check out the amazing video from Unboxed Images.

Katie B

LA Community Manager and random hug giver