Hip With a Conscience

By Lookout Staff

Good times will equal a good cause on Aug. 17 when dimly-lit and ultra-hip VODA bar and restaurant along with its equally cool sister, Lounge 217, host summer charity cocktail parties to benefit American Red Cross of Santa Monica.

The complimentary champagne will flow and the music will play at the two locations starting at 7 p.m. Requested donation is $10 at the door. All of the door proceeds will go to the Santa Monica chapter of the American Red Cross, which annually sees donations drop in August, while area disasters, such as wild fires currently raging in California and other states, increase.

This is the second year the clubs owners, Mike Garrett and Tommy Stoilkovich, will host the events that are a part of the American Red Cross of Santa Monica's Percent Day, which takes place on Aug. 16.

"They're very charitable people," a spokeswoman for the clubs said of Garrett and Stoilkovich. "If they believe in a charity that does good work they get involved."

On Percent Day local businesses including Back on Broadway, Back on the Beach, Café Santa Monica, Next, Pacific Park, Quigly and Miron, CPAs, and Segal Enterprises, donate up to 5 percent of the day's income to the American Red Cross. The organization provides relief for victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare and respond to emergencies. Last year the event raised more than $5,500.

Other businesses participating in the one day event include Allan Jeffries Framing, Terrence Rogers Fine Art and ZJ Boarding House.

For more information on the summer cocktail parties call (310) 394-9774. For more information on Percent Day and the American Red Cross of Santa Monica, call Stephanie Droker at (310) 394-3773, ext. 105.

VODA, which means water in 22 languages, is located at 1449 Second Street. Lounge 217 is located at 217 Broadway Avenue.