Blog post by Michael Young, Senior Marketing & Communications Specialist for the Sacramento Regional Transit District, and Member of Metro EDGE. Crossposted at metro-edge.org Let me start by letting everyone know I’m the new guy at Metro EDGE. I joined a few weeks ago hoping to increase my professional network, become more involved in the local business and civic communities, and maybe have a few cocktails in the process. Probably sounds familiar to most EDGErs. I decided to attend a Communications Committee meeting shortly after signing up to quickly engage with the organization. Expecting a large group, I was pleasantly surprised when an intimate team was immediately open to my involve

You can’t run with scissors in the happiest 5 kilometer race on earth, but you can run with chalk in neon colors. Toddlers, teenagers and grown-ups in tiaras and tutus played in Sacramento's downtown streets on Saturday's Color Run braving pink, yellow, orange, purple, and green colored fairy dusts to paint Picassos on their white t-shirts. “We dedicate this run to all the cool kids who inspire us to color our lives with creativity,” said Crystal Brooks, 32, a pastry chef from Midtown Sacramento waiving her hands in the air in excitement. She swivels her hips and skips with three of her girlfriends in glee.  All four sports a matching white shirt cut in symmetry, knee high plaid pattern

Old Sacramento welcomed more than 20,000 visitors bustling to the sound of ukuleles, taiko drums, and the aloha of the islands during the Pacific Rim Festival.   The streets came alive with vivrant colors and the lure of barbeque, teriyake chicken, pulled pork, and the sweetness of hawaiian shave ice on Sunday, May 20.  There were many cultures in attendance sharing the arts, food, and roots of an Asian heritage.      This is the 20th iteration of an annual event that has steadily gained popularity among families who live in the region.  The Census Bureau shares that Sacramento County houses the country's 12th largest Asian American population.  

Sacramento, Let's Play Ball! Dodgeball, that is.  And for a good cause! Metro EDGE, Sacramento’s premiere network of 40-and-under young professionals, is excited to announce the third annual “A Day on the EDGE” fundraiser.  This year’s event will feature a dodgeball tournament complete with great music, food, and drinks – all to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Sacramento. A program of the Sacramento Metro Chamber, Metro EDGE identifies and supports a local nonprofit organization through volunteerism and philanthropic giving every year.  For 2012, Metro EDGE is supporting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Sacramento, which works to inspire young people to dream big and reach th

California’s fiscal fitness depends on adopting healthy habits. On Monday, Dr. Mehmet Oz, a popular television host of "The Dr. Oz Show" led the charge for a two year pilot workplace-wellness program designed to promote healthy habits at work. “Health happens in the Workplace” was launched with Yvonne R. Walker, President of SEIU, State Controller John Chiang, and State Treasurer Bill Lockyer pushing forward to improve state worker’s health to save money on long term cost. A study by the state controller’s office found that in 2008, California could save between $18 million to $54 million a year if only five to fifteen percent of government workers are able to prevent chronic disease th

On any given Tuesday, Michelle Gorre's students push through more of what feels like a workout instead of a tango class at Sierra 2 Center.  She guides the class through warm-ups, isolations, drills, routines, floor work, and cool-down.  The participants move through  exercises to become better dance partners.  With the same discipline and energy she expects from her class, Gorre is raising funds to support the cure with her TNT Leukemia & Lymphoma Society training team.  She is very close to reaching her goal, with a little bit further to go.    This Friday, April 13, 2012, a tango dance party will be held at The Capital Athletic Club on 1515 8th St. At 7 p.m., there will be a beginn

The 48-hour film challenge took place on the weekend of March 30, for the Sacramento Film Festival at The Artisan. All the 32 registered teams had to make a creative sprint that began 7:30 p.m., March 30 and ended at 7:30 p.m., April 1. Only 26 teams completed their project according to Martin Ayala Anaya, the event organizer. Mine was one of them. As an aspiring multimedia journalist, writing stories for a year, then following my friends on their film projects in the last three. I decided to attempt the challenge for myself. After all, the best way to learn is to just do it.  My vision was to have a crew of all foster children who have turned 18 – and “aged out” of the system that I m

There's a willing way to the heart and it cuts like a tai chi saber.  For centuries, tai chi, chi gung, and "internal" martial arts practices have been known to improve mental and physical acuity. At Riverwalk Park in West Sacramento, every other Sunday, at 12:30 p.m. Daniel Quincy Sifu  will be sharing this art form with the public. Quincy has been teaching tai chi since 1986. He has taught many students through Tai Chi Club in UC Davis, Experimental College, and public parks in the East Bay and Sacramento.  He was first introduced to the art form while doing his post doctorate research in biophysics at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. He was active in all kinds of sport

The Park Ultra Lounge on Thursday was standing room only with more than three hundred fifty young leaders converging for one mighty night on the town at the 2nd Annual Young Leaders connect sponsored by Metro Edge. There are no strangers - just bright engaging people out for a typical happy hour. While there was the usual attendance of capitol state workers, lawyers, financial analysts, and lobbying professionals, the company also included teachers, engineers, and cattle ranchers grazing from as far as Lodi and Rio Vista.   You’ve heard of the “six degrees of separation” theory, right? Pick anyone on the planet, and chances are you already know them through no more than six acquaintances

More than 300 dancers let their walking do the talking at Capital Swing's west coast swing convention on President's Day weekend.  On it's 20th anniversary, the annual west coast swing convention in Sacramento attracts everyone from novices to champions dancers worldwide.  Last year, the convention drew enthusiasts from as far as Brazil and France.  For those who are local, long distance travel isn't necessary to catch a piece of the action.  All you have to do is drive through Exposition Boulevard to the Woodlake Hotel (formerly known as the Radisson) "It's great exercise.  The people here are all nice.  Everyone dances with everyone else.  It's just a great community to be a part of,"

As always, Sacramento steps up to the plate with holiday events of all sorts. At Sacramento365.com, we see a lot of events come through the site every day. Though there are myriad options in our Holiday Event section, we've narrowed down the list to 10 to get help you pick your Christmas Eve & Christmas Day festivities. Christmas Eve Events: Sure, the night before Christmas should be spent snuggled in bed waiting for Santa Claus, but why not get out and about during the day. Here are some options to keep you entertained around town: 1. Free Admission at Fairytale Town & Sacramento Zoo: FTT 10am-2pm; Zoo 10am-1:30pm Treat the kiddies to a day out while both Fairytale Town & the Sacramento

Yes, there are a few gems in Sacramento.  Times when you can honestly say, living here can be good after all.  The thing is you have to know is where to look.  This Sunday, we decide to share some of the glow.

Raymond and Sylvia Munoz did not know what they were getting into when they first signed up to be foster parents. They nearly called it quits after helping 30 foster kids then the arrival of Sean opened their hearts to the possibility of adoption. "It's been 13 years of bliss," said Sylvia recalling the day. When Sean's adoptive father, a military veteran and Americorp volunteer passed away in 2010, Sylvia was left on her own to raise a teen. She was at the adoption orientation for National Adoption Awareness Day at the State Capitol on Nov 3 to find out how to adopt two older foster siblings. It's a hard knock life for 60,000 foster kids living in California. Though, 25,000 of these c

Aha! I’ve found Utopia and it is on a ten by ten pulpit with a steel sliding microphone stick. Instead of hate, oh the waves of laughter it creates. Where the orators can offend and there’s nothing to defend just the hilarity of truth bared down to its presence, a roll in the dark with a spotlight and a red pulsing timer. I know a place. Ain’t nobody crying. Ain’t nobody worrying, I’ll take you there. Open mic, at Laughs Unlimited on Tuesday drew over 18 comedians and more than a hundred people in the audience for comic relief. At a time when letting go of everyday reality is almost impossible, the $5 cure of a healing drink and laughter is cheap therapy.  "This is a rare time, when th

Now is it Filipino with an F or a P? It must be an F because as most Fil-Ams would agree, it’s not Filipino without food and family. In Sacramento, hip hop artists, break dancers, designers, and other creatives came together at Sol Collective on 21st Street and Broadway to celebrate Filipino American History Month. They came from as far as Vallejo, Stockton, and South San Francisco to share what it means to be Fil-Am. The heat resonates from the thin sachets of lumpia simmering in the boiling bubbles of Crisco oil. Dominique Marquez, 26 with her long silky hair, tank top, tribal ink tattoo, and shorts helps her mom "Nanay" with her brow covered in sweat over the open fire of the gas gri

Yellow flowers, silver ribbons, and shopping bags line the white linen covered tables in the Macy's courtyard of the Downtown Plaza Mall in preparation for a 10th Anniversary benefit fashion show for United Way's Women in Philanthropy. More than 230 women attended the luncheon to honor the group that brings women together to foster youths towards adulthood. Honorees walked the runway with great reason to celebrate being that the day marks a milestone. Reaching $1 million in funds for programs, 1,223 towel sets, 75 luggage, 904 holiday gifts, and 34 life skills workshops given to foster youths aging out of the system. This year, the group shares a new idea, $en$e –ability, individual deve

A mother, a sister, a spouse, a best friend is diagnosed with breast cancer everyday. This life threatening illness claims over 40,000 lives annually.  In Sacramento, the love for survivors goes beyond the pink celebrating with Blues for Life, a fundraiser for Albie Aware Breast Cancer Foundation held at the Torch Club last Sunday. Every $100 pays for a mammogram that can save a woman's life. Over the past four years Blues for Life events raised over $125,000 to help those diagnosed with breast cancer in our community. Considering that the average age of diagnosis is 37 years old, more than 70% of cases have no family history, and the leading cause of death among women between 40 & 55 i

It was like a pub crawl for history buffs – without the crawl. Saturday was the first ever Archives Crawl in Sacramento, an event where four leading historical research facilities highlighted their offerings to the general public. For five hours the California State Archives, the California State Library, the Sacramento Central Library and the Center for Sacramento History opened their doors, their files and their secret vaults to the general public. All of the information on display Saturday, can be seen for free but other than serious historians few people ever take advantage of the resources. For those who missed the crawl, here were some of the highlights: Mugshots: One of the popu

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. In Sacramento, the festivities kick off with Blues for Life at The Torch Club , a live music festival & pasta cook-off from 1pm to 7pm on October 2.   Ten bands, 10 restaurants, and a five-year Sac town tradition, this event is the primary fundraiser for Albie Aware, a foundation that brings preventive care, support, and education for those with breast cancer or seeking assistance for early detection and treatment.   “If treated early, cancer fatality can diminish with the proper care,” commented Doug Carson. In 2002, his wife Albie Carson, a 50 year resident of Sacramento, lost the battle with cancer because the tumor was caught too late. This

Can poets unite and give voice to issues left unsaid?  100 Thousand Poets for Change, an international movement to promote serious social, environmental, and political change brought more than a dozen poets to two public parks: the Rose Garden at the State Capitol and Fremont Park. Saturday’s event was an international day of poetry, celebrated with 700 events in 550 cities in 95 countries in every continent but Antarctica. The multi-national event mixed politics and poetry in some odd and surprising ways. While a politicized poetry reading is not controversial in most countries, in some nation’s organizers risked harassment or arrest for expressing independent viewpoints with their wor