Best Upcoming Charity Events In Los Angeles

The anthem "we're all in this together" has never rung truer than right now, in L.A., in our country and in the world. One way to get involved in unity is to contribute to a charity or two by attending special events given via those causes that you care about. By doing so, you will help support important efforts, like ending hunger and stopping domestic violence, among others. Consider the following five related gatherings coming up in Los Angeles this spring.

Los Angeles Tour de Cure
Santa Fe Recreational Dam
15501 Arrow Highway
Los Angeles, CA 91706
(323) 966-2890
www.diabetes.org
Date: June 10, 2017 at 5 a.m.

Mark your calendar to join the fight against diabetes by running or biking the glorious area in and around the Santa Fe Recreational Dam in Baldwin Park. Choose a short course run, a bike trek covering a portion of iconic Route 66, or both--and then hang out to party hardy after your more physical efforts, all in the name of attacking this debilitating disease that causes blindness, amputation and even death through research and other ongoing medical means.

Fashion Fusion
Saint Sofia Cathedral
1324 S Normandie Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90006
(323) 737-2424
www.eventful.com
Date: June 3, 2017 at 7 p.m.

Dress your fashion best to participate in the AFC Fashion Fusion Fundraiser, a top notch and very stylish event benefiting both Inglewood High School and Los Angeles Adventist Academy, two houses of education showcasing fashion design and modeling as viable career options. The money goal? A sartorially inspired $40,000.

Food Truck Fetish Festival
Exposition Park, South Lawn
700 Exposition Park Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90037
foodfetishfestival.com
Date: April 8-9, 2017 at 10 a.m.

Pick a cuisine, any cuisine: Mexican, Chinese, Mediterranean, Southern comfort, etc. That's what you'll find at the Food Truck Fetish Festival. Oh, and don't forget your favorite craft beers. Also, to spark an even livelier groove, expect an array of indie bands to play during this foodie oriented event. Other good news: Part of the profits made from this massive gathering of some 100 gourmet food trucks will handily benefit the non-profit organization Love Missions' Stomp out Hunger in Los Angeles initiative.

Black & White Ball
Hyatt Regency Long Beach
200 South Pine Ave.
Long Beach, CA 90802
(562) 491-1234
www.centerlb.org
Date: April 22, 2017 at 6 p.m.

This year marks the fourth annual Black & White Ball where dinner, dancing, and the main event - a special awards presentation honoring local and national LGBTQ advocates - takes place at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach the third week in April. Always sold out, this notable event is typically the most sought after ticket in town, and arguably the most stylish.

Stepping Out Against Domestic Violence
Central Park
Bailey and Washington
Whittier, CA 90601
www.sheltersrighthand.org
Date: April 22, 2017 at 6:30 a.m.

Register early or show up on the day of the event (at 6:30 a.m. sharp!) to walk a bit more than three miles en masse through historic Whittier. Doing so means giving to the Women's and Children's Crisis Shelter, an aptly dubbed safe house designed to accommodate domestic violence victims of all ages. So, step out for this cause as others have done and continue to do in a big way every year for the past two decades. With 2017 no exception, this meaningful event will also gift prizes, hold raffles, release balloons and memorialize all who have sadly died due to the heinous act referred to as domestic violence.

By Jane Lasky