Pies for the Peak - Success!

The success of this effort to collect funds to save the land around the Hollywood Sign is an example of what one person can do. Elaine Michaels, Beachwood neighbor, had the idea a month ago and that's all it took. She was inspired and her phone calls inspired others to participate. She had neighbors baking pies, people donating their time and energy, and the spark turned into a flame! For several hours last Saturday, Elaine, along with Megan Winchester and Des Wilson worked tirelessly in front of the Beachwood Market. In Elaine's words, "Megan and Des went over and above board as neighbors and as people." Alix Papalexis exhibited his typical neighborhood support working with Elaine to make this day flow seamlessly. Elaine wishes to extend a special thanks to Betty Petitt not only for the pies she baked but the extra work she did in the days leading up to the Pies for the Peak event. Betty baked pies and sold them at her work place. When she brought her pies to Elaine last Saturday in an elaborate pie carrier, she also brought a check for the Trust for Public Land.

Beachwood is truly a unique and generous neighborhood and it's people like Elaine that show us what can be if we just step up and take action.

If you would still like to donate to help with the purchase of Cahuenga Peak, here's how to do it:

To make a tax-deductible gift of cash to help purchase and protect the land around the Hollywood sign, please make your check payable to: The Trust for Public Land.

Please write in the memo area of check, Save The Cahuenga Peak.

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March 11, 2010                                          Contact:        Tim Ahern, 415-710-9095

                                                                              Paige Rausser, 310-270-5168

HOLLYWOOD TO HELP PRESERVE LAND

AROUND HOLLYWOOD SIGN

LOS ANGELES - The Trust for Public Land (TPL) announced today that donations totaling $3.1 million on behalf of major studios and a number of other Hollywood leaders have been made to help buy the land at Cahuenga Peak and preserve the view of the famous Hollywood Sign.

The contributions bring to $9.45 million the total amount raised, said TPL President Will Rogers.  TPL needs to raise a total of $12.5 million by the April 14 deadline in order to protect the land from potential development.

These contributions include major donations from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, CBS Corporation, The Entertainment Industry Foundation, Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, the Lucasfilm Foundation, NBC Universal, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Steven Spielberg, Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Time Warner Inc., and The Walt Disney Company Foundation.  Other Hollywood leaders to contribute include Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, and Norman Lear.

"The Hollywood Sign is the world-wide symbol of the American entertainment industry and we are grateful that the Hollywood community has stepped up to help us protect this land," said Rogers.  "With this generous support from the leaders of Hollywood we are one step closer to preserving this valuable resource."

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said, "We need to protect this land and this view of the Hollywood Sign.  The sign is a vital link to generations of Hollywood story-tellers.  As governor, I have made land conservation a priority and we need to add this land behind theHollywood Sign to the list of special places we have protected in California."

TPL holds an option to buy the 138 acres behind, and to the left, of the "H" in the sign, stretching west to Cahuenga Peak.  The option expires April 14.

The land was originally purchased by industrialist Howard Hughes in 1940, to build a home for actress Ginger Rogers.  But the relationship between the two fell apart and after Hughes died, his estate sold the property in 2002 to a group of Chicago investors.  They put the property on the market two years ago for $22 million.  It is zoned to build four luxury homes.

In addition to support from the Hollywood community, Aileen Getty has donated $1 million, and The Tiffany & Co. Foundation has been a major supporter with a $1 million donation. 

"The Hollywood Sign is an American icon that holds a unique place in the nation's collective imagination and the cultural history of Los Angeles," said Michael J. Kowalski, chairman and CEO of Tiffany & Co. "As an American institution, Tiffany has enjoyed its share of memorable movie moments and through our foundation, is committed to protecting our natural resources and pleased to assist The Trust for Public Land in protecting this historically significant site."

Besides TPL, Tiffany and Ms. Getty, other collaborators in the campaign include the Hollywood Sign Trust, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge, the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, the Los Angeles Parks Foundation, and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

There has also been strong local grassroots support from people who live in the Los Angeles area.  Hundreds of local residents have given money and are hosting fund-raisers.

TPL is a national, nonprofit land conservation organization that conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, community gardens, historic sites, rural lands, and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. Since 1972, TPL has worked with willing landowners to complete for than 4,500 projects in 47 states, protected 2.8 million acres.  Visit www.tpl.org

Contact:

Tim Ahern, TPL, 415-710-9095; tim.ahern@tpl.org

Paige Rauser, TPL, 310-270-5158; paige.rausser@tpl.org

###

Tim Ahern
Director, Media Relations
The Trust for Public Land(TPL)
116 New Montgomery Street,, 4th floor
San Francisco, Cal. 94105
(415) 495-4014, ext. 425
tim.ahern@tpl.org
www.tpl.org

Conserving Land for People - an average of 350 acres of parks and open space each and every day. On the Web at http://www.tpl.org

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Rally For The Peak

Saturday, April 10, at 11 a.m.

Lake Hollywood Park

Music, Refreshments, Fun, Reps from the Trust for Public Land and the Council Office will be on hand and there will be press coverage.

Beyond supporting this event by attending it, how would you like to actually help provide pies, cookies, cakes for the "Bake for the Peak" table?

Not good in the kitchen? How about donating some beverages for the day?

Are you musically gifted?

Cara wants to hear from all of you as she organizes this event. The Rally is coming up soon. If you would like to bake something, bring a beverage or contribute to the entertainment, please contact Cara Rule at 323 463-1354 or send her an email at:

The Beachwood Canyon Neighborhood Association is donating $500 and other associations are donating even more. Bring your checkbooks and your family and neighbors. This will be a wonderful day for all of us to get together for this very worthy cause.

Background:

Cara Rule, past president of Hollywoodland Homeowners Association has taken it on herself to gather support from local neighborhood associations to hold a rally to fund raise for the Save the Peak project.  "I have joined forces with the Trust for Public Land and our Council office," said Cara in an email to the local associations. "to help organize a 'Rally for the Peak' to raise awareness and funds for this battle to help organize a "Rally for the Peak" to raise awareness and funds for this battle . . .we are all fortunate to enjoy an unobstructed view of the iconic Hollywood sign.  There is no doubt that we would all regret it if we did not now do everything possible to help secure the purchase of Cahuenga Peak so that it may be added to our beautiful park and protected in perpetuity."

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