The Century Park courtyard was unusually crowded Thursday,
but not just with suited agents and busy lawyers catching a bite before their
next meeting. Sweatshirt-bearing adults
and jean-sporting teens dotted the lawn and filled the pathways, making
passersby curious.
“Excuse me, do you know what’s going on?” a woman in a
black skirt suit asked me, looking up from her sandwich.
Less than a minute later another lady approached me, asking the same question. Her clothes seemed suspiciously casual, but I
answered anyways.
“I heard there’s going to be a flash mob,” I replied. She thanked me and walked away.
I should have known.
Moments later “Thriller” suddenly trumpeted from the loudspeakers, and the same woman tore off her sweatshirt and rushed to the field to join the rest of the flash mob participants. About 100 dancers wearing blue Make-A-Wish shirts began busting out Michael Jackson moves.
The front row seat belonged to 9-year-old, Kiarri, whose wish was a Nintendo Wii and Michael Jackson’s “The Experience” game. She battles lymphosarcoma.
Wendy Bird and Michael Mand, of the Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles Chapter, planned the flash mob in order to present Kiarri these granted wishes along with a 40" flat screen TV and stand, 14 other Wii games, various controller attachments, extra controllers and nunchucks, and other accessories.
“We brought Kiarri and her family here today under the guise of having lunch,” said Bird.
Flash mob volunteers learned and practiced the dance at home using videos posted to YouTube, and had only one rehearsal on Tuesday night.
“The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy,” said Bird. “Kiarri’s wish is one of 400 our chapter will grant this year for children who live in Los Angeles County.”
I should have known.
Moments later “Thriller” suddenly trumpeted from the loudspeakers, and the same woman tore off her sweatshirt and rushed to the field to join the rest of the flash mob participants. About 100 dancers wearing blue Make-A-Wish shirts began busting out Michael Jackson moves.
The front row seat belonged to 9-year-old, Kiarri, whose wish was a Nintendo Wii and Michael Jackson’s “The Experience” game. She battles lymphosarcoma.
Wendy Bird and Michael Mand, of the Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles Chapter, planned the flash mob in order to present Kiarri these granted wishes along with a 40" flat screen TV and stand, 14 other Wii games, various controller attachments, extra controllers and nunchucks, and other accessories.
“We brought Kiarri and her family here today under the guise of having lunch,” said Bird.
Flash mob volunteers learned and practiced the dance at home using videos posted to YouTube, and had only one rehearsal on Tuesday night.
“The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy,” said Bird. “Kiarri’s wish is one of 400 our chapter will grant this year for children who live in Los Angeles County.”
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