We had the pleasure of participating, for the third year in a row, in a fun and healthy annual event: the “Heart of the City” 5-K Walk/Run through the streets of Downtown Los Angeles, closed off early last Saturday morning, for hundreds of people – some with their dogs – to make our way through city streets normally clogged with traffic.
The event is organized by and benefits the California Hospital Medical Center, situated right in the center of Downtown LA, and also the location of the starting line. For some serious runners, this was an opportunity to compete for the fastest time, and the winner clocked in at just over 15 minutes. Giroux Glass assembled our greatest number of participants yet, with 13 partners who either walked or ran, and represented all of our locations, including Las Vegas and Fresno.
We weren’t quite as competitive . . . A few of us did run and clocked good times! Thank you, to our team’s fastest runners, Haik Khatchatrian and Lydia Arevalo, who saved us from the dire fate of being awarded the last-place prize, the dreaded “Bed Pan Award.”
The rest of us walked, got to catch up with one another, and mostly, enjoyed the view. There were other benefits for us to enjoy beyond best times bragging rights. The value of engaging in outdoor activity that benefits the community in which we work, coupled with the chance to bond with our partners while doing something fun? “Priceless,” as they say . . .
Construction in DTLA as seen by Team Giroux Glass during Heart of the City 5K.
Because Giroux Glass is part of the construction industry, there was another huge benefit we appreciated: seeing up close from the perfect vantage point the huge number of construction projects going on at this moment. The chance to witness from street level, the amazing amount of development taking shape before our eyes, was a fantastic opportunity. There is so much happening in downtown Los Angeles right now! Cranes are everywhere, and almost daily, big “reveals” take place when view -blocking barricades are removed to unveil the city’s shiny new structures. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We got to check out the new sculpture honoring star basketball player Shaquille O’Neal, that had just been installed a few days earlier, right in front of the Staples Center. It reminded us all of the time when the Center was built back in 1999, when Giroux Glass installed all of the interior glass, and long before the L.A. Live area became the entertainment mecca it has become.
We walked by one L.A. landmark after another, and thought about our own work that went into many of them, including the Grammy Museum and the new open-air shopping and dining center, “The Bloc.” It truly is a time of exciting transformation; it’s everywhere, and we’re thrilled to have had our part in making it happen.
The Foundation’s goals were exceeded; over $238,000 were raised by this event. I speak on behalf of all of us who participated on “Team Giroux” that our goals were exceeded as well. We all enjoyed a great time, achieved a healthy number of steps for the day, and got to visit with the partners we don’t get to see very often. We’re looking forward to next year’s event already!