At the March 13 TEDxAtlanta event, the group presented its first-ever “Wish” grant to Kwanza Hall and the Year of Boulevard initiative. Organizers of the TEDx event — which brings together people from the tech, creative, nonprofit, and business communities — asked Hall to present a “wish” to TEDx attendees. Hall challenged the TEDxAtlanta attendees to help create jobs and internships for the young residents of the Village of Bedford Pines and to raise cash to support summer camps and job training programs.
“TEDxAtlanta chose the Year of Boulevard as its first wish recipient because of the opportunity for the TEDxAtlanta community to align with a project that had defined objectives already in place, but needed resources, connections, and passion in order to make it a success,” said Jenn Graham, TEDxAtlanta spokesperson and speaker liaison. Because the March event was organized around the theme of community, exploring the Boulevard effort “pointed our thinking toward how we can be better neighbors, care after our youth, share entrepreneurial insights and inspire equality within our community,” she said.
By the end of the one-day seminar, Hall’s office received $4,500 in cash and eighteen promises to create jobs or internships. Artist Radcliffe Bailey agreed to donate a painting to be auctioned in support of the Year of Boulevard, a contribution easily worth $25,000-plus. “This project is exhilarating and humbling. To see that we had over ninety people commit to helping in some way, and Radcliffe’s painting, we feel we have the energy, enthusiasm, and horsepower to really make a difference in this first summer,” said Graham.
>> Watch Hall’s video address to the TEDx Atlanta attendees.
Year Of Boulevard from Some Good Co. on Vimeo.
