Meghan Takahasi at Shake That Give Back
Saturday, December 1st marked an important birthday for Olivia Anakwe and Meghan Takahashi. Best friends, models, university students, and now activists, Olivia and Meghan threw their first Shake That, Give Back party, a concept that they came up with just a month before at a jazz festival.
Rather than throwing a traditional 22nd birthday party, Olivia and Meghan wanted to do something with a lasting impact on their community. Shake That, Give Back was born to raise money for two organizations they are passionate about: The NUWAY Foundation, and Women’s Refugee Commission.
Fellow models, creatives, and New Yorkers alike intermingled at The Paper Box in industrial Bushwick, which provided the perfect space for intimate conversations and dancing into the early morning.
Raffle tickets, which doubled as donations, were plentiful, and guests were excited about winning products from Glossier, Juice Press, Rumble Boxing, Sweat Yoga, New York Pilates, Moroccan Oil, Jason Wu, HeyDay Skincare, Herbivore Botanicals, LOLI Beauty, Little Choc, and S’well.
The party lasted until the early morning, thanks to DJ’s that kept the crowd energized until raffle prizes were announced. DALTON TAYLOR opened the night with a killer set of house and today’s rap hits that set the tone for the party. BRDN BLUE turned up with more favorites, and DJ LADY LANE closed the night with a smooth set to which everyone could groove.
To keep the party going, Dos Toros and Insomnia Cookies catered, providing a nourishing intermission to dancing.
Olivia and Meghan spoke briefly about The NUWAY Foundation and Women’s Refugee Commission, and engaged guests in getting hyped about giving back.
By the end of the party, Olivia and Meghan were beyond thrilled with the result and grateful for the support of their friends and community for making the night a success.
“Overall, I think that Shake That Give Back was the beginning of something special and powerful. Feeling the energy, seeing the smiles, and bringing people from different worlds and walks of life was the best part,” said Olivia.
“Shake That Give Back was just the beginning: to get people out and aware about these causes that we care about! And we’re so grateful for all the beautiful energy that was shared and hope to keep the momentum from it going through more actionable events and discussions in the near future,” said Meghan.
One thing is for sure, we can count on even more Shake That, Give Back in 2019. Stay tuned and follow Olivia and Meghan on Instagram @megstakahashi and @olivia_anakwe.