Monthly Archives: August 2017

Hurricane Harvey: How You Can Help

September 5, 2017: Blue Santa is asking Austin to do a Texas Toy Drive!

In an effort to provide support and comfort to children throughout the state of Texas who have been displaced from their homes as a result of Hurricane Harvey, Mayor Steve Adler is asking the Austin community to come together and donate the items listed below to ensure every child has the opportunity to continue being a kid during this difficult time.

The Mayor is asking for the community to donate new toys, board games, playing cards, sports balls, crayons/markers/colored pencils, arts and crafts sets, coloring books, and puzzles. Please avoid including any toy weapons, glitter, glue, or food items. We encourage the community to secure items for children of all ages, from infants to teenagers.

This donation drive is being conducted in partnership with Operation Blue Santa. Donations will be focused on supporting children in disaster relief locally and state-wide. If any additional donations are not utilized to support children during relief efforts they will be made available to families in our community that are in need this holiday season.

Donations will be accepted through Friday, September 15. For more information, you can visit the Blue Santa webpage at www.bluesanta.org or call at 512-974-BLUE.

Drop Off Location:
Blue Santa Warehouse
4101 S. Industrial Drive, #260
Austin, TX 78744
Hours: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday – Friday

District 6 NW Office is also accepting donations. Drop off here:

10401 Anderson Mill RD Suite 101 (next to Shipley’s Donuts)
M-W-F 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
T-Th 4 – 7 p.m.

Austin-based Go! Retail Group is offering a special of 30% off all games, toys, and puzzles for donation to Operation Blue Santa. They’re also accepting new game and toy donations at all 5 of their local-area retail stores. Any donations purchased online here will be delivered directly to Operation Blue Santa. Donations will be accepted through September 15.

The company has also committed to providing a teddy-bear for each purchased donation, with a commitment to donate up to 5,000 teddy-bears to kids in need of special comfort.

Drop Off Locations:

Go! Games and Toys stores at:

  • Barton Creek Square, 2901 S Capital of Texas Hwy, Austin, TX 78746, 512-362-8292
  • Lakeline Mall, 11200 Lakeline Mall Dr, Cedar Park, TX 78613, 512-215-0384
  • Round Rock Premium Outlets, 4401 North I-35, Round Rock, TX 78664, 512-763-8010
  • San Marcos Premium Outlets, 3939 IH-35 S, San Marcos, TX 78666, 512-392-2872
  • San Marcos Tanger Outlet, 4015 IH 35, San Marcos, TX 78666, 512-368-4121

Toy Joy just started offering a Texas Toy Drive special. If you buy a toy from them for the Harvey kids, they’ll not only knock 25% off the price, but they will make sure the toy gets delivered to the Austin Police Operation Blue Santa for you! Didn’t buy a toy from them? Don’t worry about it. You can still drop it off there:

  • 403 W 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701

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Mayor Adler Speaks at Announcement of New Apple-ACC Partnership

https://youtu.be/DS5Iea-BPtY

Mayor Adler: “I say this every time I come in here; I love this space. I love this addition to the space. I love the energy that you have on the floors, and I love what the Capital Factory has brought to our city, so thank you. I want to say hi to everybody. It’s my opportunity and honor today to introduce the CEO and President of ACC.

“Before I get there, I just want to comment a little about what we have in front of us. I continue to believe that Austin is a magical city for many different reasons, and we are riding a wave right now. There are so many things that are happening in our city. We live in a city that is creating more middle-skill jobs than any city in the country. We live in a city where the unemployment rate is a full point below the state generally, and the country as a whole. There are some incredible things that are happening here. And we’re gonna create 60,000 middle-skill jobs over the next five years. So we have to celebrate all that is happening in our city, but at the same time we also have to notice that this rising tide does not lift all the boats. Some of the boats that people are in have leaks. We live in a city where the cost of housing is going up. When that happens, we begin to hollow out the middle of our city. And with that, the creative energies and sparks that make ours a city that creates art…the danger would be that we hollow out that middle and become a city that just consumes art. And that would not be the Austin, Texas that we all love.

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CBS Austin: Hundreds of protestors rally against white supremacy in Austin

Saturday, August 19th 2017—Hundreds gathered at Austin City Hall Saturday to “Rally Against White Supremacy.”

The event served as a peaceful rally in response to the violence in Charlottesville, Va. last weekend after one person was killed and dozens were injured after a driver plowed into a crowd of protesters.

The event featured various speakers including Mayor Steve Adler, State Rep. Lloyd Doggett, Austin Community College Professor Patricia Hatcher, as well as many other community leaders and activists.

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