Hug a Hippie, Help a Haitian

Comments (0) By Michael J. Mooney Thursday, Jun 2 2011

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You recycle. You buy organic. You even vote for the Green Party candidates every once in a while. (The thought of ever voting Republican is, somehow, at once laughable and vomit-inducing.) But if you think you’re some true bleeding heart, you should meet the young men and women behind the S.W.A.M.P.: a collective of modern-day tree-hugging, facial-hair-rocking, authority-punking hippies living in a house right in the middle of Fort Lauderdale. This is what “grassroots” looks like. When you’re sneaking into Walmart to buy cheap toilet paper, these folks are out protesting corporate imperialism. As you’re cooking up a Sunday steak, they’re fighting to end industrialized farming. While you channel-surf through commercial breaks, these people are out in the streets, fixing bikes for free and feeding the homeless dozens at a time. This will be their first public event: a fundraiser for Grassroots United, a network of volunteers working in Haiti. There’ll be plenty of music and plenty of like-minded discussions about how to improve the world. To get in, bring five dollars or a spare bike part (really) to the S.W.A.M.P. (1333 NW Seventh Terrace, Fort Lauderdale.) Party starts at 4 p.m. Visit grassrootsunited.org.
Sat., June 4, 4 p.m., 2011