It’s here! The Gowanus Grand Prix 2013 Video

February 27, 2013 in Appaman News, NYC

You may have seen the event photos already (click the link if you haven’t), but we just got our hands on the official video from the 2nd Annual Appaman Gowanus Grand Prix.

Check it out!

2nd Annual Gowanus Grand Prix 2013

February 13, 2013 in Appaman News, NYC

Another year, another great time had by Appaman and friends at the Second Annual Gowanus Grand Prix. This year, 20 slot car racing teams competed in the tournament, headed by none other than Appaman co-founder (and all around awesome guy),  Trackmaster Harald Husum. All proceeds from the event went to benefit Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer, and thanks to our sponsors, Halyard’s Bar (for the cool and friendly venue), Izze (for tasty beverages), Skinny Pop (for awesome healthy snacks), Whole Foods (for delicious sandwiches), and Tattly (for THE best temporary tattoos we’ve ever seen), the event was a huge success! Another thanks to our friends and fans for coming out to Brooklyn on a chilly Sunday morning and bringing the fun. We couldn’t have done it without your great attitudes, generosity, and (lest we forget) your mad racing skills.

We’re already excited for next year! Scroll down to see photos from the event (click to enlarge).

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Congrats to the winning team, the Grossman Boys! It was a tight race, but they triumphed. 

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More images after the jump…

Read the rest of this entry →

Get a limited edition Appaman Grand Prix tee and help fight childhood cancer

January 23, 2013 in Appaman News

This Sunday, January 27th is the Second Annual Appaman Gowanus Grand Prix charity event, a day of family fun and slot car racing, with 100% of proceeds going to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer.  (Scroll down for more info)

Can’t make it to Brooklyn this weekend?

You can still participate by purchasing this Limited Edition Appaman Gowanus Grand Prix t-shirt ($24) on Appaman.com. They’re available in kids’ sizes 6, 8 and 10. 100% of your purchase goes to Alex’s Lemonade Stand, so not only do you get an awesome shirt, you’re directly supporting a great cause.

You can also show your support by donating to the event on the Eventbrite page, helping us reach our goal of contribute even more to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.

Local to NYC? Great!

Race tickets are sold out, but you can RSVP as a cheerleader and…

  • Enjoy great treats generously donated from our sponsors, Whole Foods, IZZE beverages, Skinny Pop Popcorn, and Giardini’s Gourmet Pizza
  • Make race banners and flags at our Creation Station
  • Get crazy with temporary tattoos at the Tattly station
  • Decorate your nails with a checkerboard race flag manicure
  • Win awesome prizes by entering our raffle
  • Hang out with Lynn, Harald, and the rest of Team Appaman (well, except for Party Hat)

The event takes place at the lovely Halyard‘s, located at 406 Third Avenue in Brooklyn. (Click here to view in Google Maps)

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We’d love for you to share the Eventbrite link with your Facebook friends to spread the word and get your community involved.

Let’s rev our engines and make lemonade out of any lemons in our life…See ya there!

- Team Appaman

Pay it Forward – Erica Atkins

December 21, 2012 in Appaman News

For Erica’s Seven Weeks of Giving contribution, she chose to donate to Mack and Third.

Erica says,

“Mack and Third is a non-profit organization that provides assistance to the homeless population of Detroit, Michigan, along with the food banks and shelters that serve them. Their annual summer concert Mack and Third Live, is an event which provides food, toiletries, medical screenings and dental services to homeless attendees.

I discovered Mack and Third while listening to an interview of the artist Kem. Raised in Detroit, he overcame addiction and homelessness to eventually become a successful singer, songwriter, and producer. I am always touched by stories of people who triumph over formidable circumstances and use their platform to help others. Mack and Third’s commitment to the Detroit community is a shining example of this.”

Learn more at www.mackandthird.org

Pay It Forward – Alyssa Miller

December 18, 2012 in Appaman News

It’s time for Alyssa’s pick for Appaman’s Seven Weeks of Giving!

“This year for my Pay it Forward I would like to make a donation to Charity: Water, an organization that brings clean drinking water to developing countries by drilling wells. Right now they have funded 6,994 projects and 2.7 million people will have access to clean water because of their projects. As a result of their efforts, children can spend more time in school instead of walking for water. I also love knowing that 100% of all donations go directly to funding projects in the field and that you are able to track every donation you make.

If you would like to know more about Charity: Water and learn how to make a donation visit them at www.charitywater.org.”

Pay it Forward – Katie Luscombe

December 14, 2012 in Appaman News

For Appaman’s Seven Weeks of Giving program, Katie chose to “pay it forward” to the Listening Ear Crisis Center in East Lansing, Michigan (home of her alma mater, Michigan State University…go green!).

Katie says,

“The Listening Ear defines crisis as ‘any situation in which your normal coping mechanisms are ineffective or unavailable.’ Their free, confidential crisis center & hotline has been open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year since July 15, 1969, providing compassionate support for callers and walk-in clients from all walks of life. The all-volunteer staff participates in 65 hours of empathy-based training to help clients cope with difficulties including depression, grief, suicide, loneliness, sexual assault, and more. They also provide free sexual assault counseling, advocacy, and community education.

I volunteered as a crisis counselor from 2004-2006, so I can say from experience that the training program is second to none, and the staff is incredibly caring and dedicated. My experience with The Ear was easily one of the most highly educational experiences of my college career, and I’m very happy to be able to give back to an organization that directly improves (and often saves) lives.”

Learn more at TheEar.org

Pay it Forward – Lynn Husum

December 10, 2012 in Appaman News

For Lynn’s “Pay it Forward” contribution, she chose to donate to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

We are all subject to our surroundings and some people are more fortunate than others. Many young people are never given the opportunity to make changes. The Boys & Girls Clubs of America tries to make these changes possible for young people.

Their mission statement:

“To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.”

This is a mission to be proud and one we can stand by at Appaman. This is why Lynn has chosen to give her donation to them. Learn more about the Boys & Girls Clubs of America at www.bgca.org.

Pay it Forward – Summer Walker

December 5, 2012 in Appaman News

Read all about Summer’s choice of charity!

“For this year’s Seven Weeks of Giving, I have chosen the Food Bank for New York City as my charity. Tragically, each year millions of people go hungry in the USA and many of these people live right here in New York City. In addition to distributing up to 400,000 meals a day, Food Bank helps the NYC community by running nutrition education programs and providing income tax service for the economically disadvantaged. They also do massive amounts of research and lobbying to help find long term solutions to food poverty in our country. Now more than ever, especially with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, it’s important that we provide support to important institutions like Food Bank NYC. Check them out and offer your support at http://www.foodbanknyc.org/.

Pay it Forward – Stephanie Fishman

November 30, 2012 in Appaman News

For Stephanie’s “Pay it Forward,” she chose to donate to Volunteer Center of Bergen County, Inc.

In her words:”Every holiday season, I participate in their ‘All Wrapped Up’ program, which connects donors to local individuals in Bergen County, New Jersey who are in need of a little holiday cheer! Every year I ‘adopt’ 2 seniors/disabled individuals, and I get a wish list from their caseworker as to what they may need. Most years, a warm winter coat is first on the list, along with basic necessities and grocery store gift cards. When I meet with the caseworker to drop off the gifts, I get to see the excitement in the faces of some of the members at the senior or rehab center. I feel very lucky to be able to help someone have a better day. I always want to contribute to this organization through other programs as well, so your donation to the Volunteer Center of Bergen County, Inc can help in so many ways — a literacy class for a single mom, a training session for a mentor, a service call for a repair in a disabled individual’s home — so THANK YOU Appaman, for your immense generosity and kindness!”

You’re welcome, Stephanie, and we are sure your charity will appreciate the donation. If you would like more info on this charity click here.

Appaman loves Red Hook

November 28, 2012 in Appaman News, NYC

Although Hurricane Sandy is out of the news it is definitely not out of the lives of many here on the East Coast.   Her wrath was felt far and wide and many are still dealing with picking up the pieces.  A couple weeks ago Appaman did a fundraiser on our site where 15% of all sales were collected over the course of a week and this money is now being donated to a relief effort.   We chose Restore Red Hook.  www.restoreredhook.org
We felt a kinship to this organization because it serves entrepreneurs.  The vendors that will benefit from Restore Red Hook lost their businesses due to the storm.  This not only hurts their lives but the lives of their employees, their neighborhood, and the general morale of the area.  We hope that our donation will help in the effort to get Red Hook back on its feet.
Watch the video at their Vimeo page