Fresh off the heels of the San Francisco Ballet’s successful AI show Mere Mortals, the first commission in artistic director Tamara Rojo’s inaugural season, an anonymous donor gifted a record $60 million to the organization to support its upcoming works.

SF Ballet announced the donation on Thursday and said it was five times larger than the biggest gift received in the history of the troop, per KTVU.

As Rojo told the New York Times, “The impact is immeasurable … It’s a gift of new creativity — a gift of the lifeblood of what a ballet company is, and has always been.”

She told the Times that $50 million of the gift will go to the organization’s endowment, which currently stands at $108 million. It will use the rest for operating costs in the next few years.

"Thrilled, being awed and humbled," says Arturo Jacobus, interim executive director of the San Francisco Ballet, speaking to KTVU. "It's clearly an historic gift for SF Ballet and the world of ballet."

Jacobus adds, "The donor would like to see this historical gift raise the sights and inspire other donors to give bigger gifts to this company and other ballet companies. To be able to bring in new audiences is absolutely key to bring in new audiences with SF Ballet."

Like many other SF businesses, the SF Ballet is currently trying to recover from pandemic-related losses and disruptions. Ticket sales reportedly fell from about $22 million in 2019 to $18 million in 2022, although they were back up to $21 million in 2023. According to the Times, SF Ballet sells out only about 50% of the 3,100 seats in the War Memorial Opera House, the home of its performances, some nights.

Still, this reinvigoration should help the organization. Plus, last month’s world premiere of ‘Mere Mortals’ made headlines during its 7-show run and even sold out the last few performances as word spread. Many of those attendees were new to ballet.

Feature image of San Francisco Ballet in Aszure Barton and Sam Shepherd's Mere Mortals // © Chris Hardy

As hordes of revelers prepare to head to Burning Man (starting this Sunday!), we'd like to remind them that there's a choice way to donate leftover non-perishable camp food. It goes to the Pyramid Lake Paiute Food Bank, which helps local foster children, elders, and victims of domestic violence.

Look for burner camp Comfort & Joy's bright day-glo flags along the way home. Food drop off locations are as follows:

1) Bunny's Tacos in downtown Nixon (approx 60 miles south of Gerlach)

2) Elaine's Stop in Wadsworth (1 mile north of I-80, exit 447)

Check out the Facebook event page for more details. Also, be sure to support the tribe by buying gas and stopping for a taco.

The fine folks at FuncheapSF bring word that—sweet sinewy Jesus!—free ice cream cake can be yours for the taking this evening. All you need to do is donate an item of food—good food—for an icy slice of heaven. Your donated food will go to the SF Food Bank, who are pretty much doing God's work, so do it. Come on. Please.

Donations can include 100% fruit and vegetables (canned), cereal, peanut butter (remember, Satan invented stir-first peanut butter, so splurge on the pre-mixed), beans, rice, pasta, soups, stews, and 100% Fruit juice.

December 15, 5-8:30pm
December 16, 5-8:30pm
December 21, 5-8:30pm

Or, if you have a heart and disposable income, please donate monetary funds to the SF Food bank here.

[via Haighteration]

By now most of you have seen ample footage of the tsunami that followed Friday's massive earthquake in Japan. We want you to look at one more, please. According to RussianToday: "[the footage shows] the moment the tsunami struck Japan's northeast coast. Residents of the port town of Kamaishi in Iwate prefecture watched in horror as the first huge tsunami waves hit, sweeping away cars and buildings. One group managed to scramble to safety on higher ground, where they watched as the water surged towards them."

At the .48 mark, the camera pans to a little girl screaming in horror as the water levels rise. It's sad and shocking moment that lingers in your mind. Which is why, if you can swing it, you should consider donating. Really, it's so simple. Just text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation to Japan earthquake and pacific tsunami relief. The cost will be added to your phone bill. It's that easy.

More details. Video below.

Two UCSC alumni and The University of California at Santa Cruz have set up a scholarship in the name of Gabriel Zimmerman, the former banana slug/congressional staffer who was shot and killed in Arizona on Saturday. According to reports, The fund has had a Facebook page since about noon [on Wednesday] and has already garnered more than $3,000 through Facebook donations."

The two UCSC grads who created the fund - Alex Clemens and Jonathan Klein - "have no relationship to Zimmerman, but they received approval from the shooting victim's family." Regarding Zimmerman, Clemens said, "He embodied the traits you want to see for a person who goes into public service."

The university hopes to raise at least $50,000.

Please visit the Gabriel (Gabe) Zimmerman Scholarship Fund for more information. And, please, if you can, donate.

[SF Appeal]

...but you can help! The site that brings you pertinent, jam-packed articles covering local transit, bicycling, pedestrian safety, and which SUV best suits your family -- ok, not the last one which is why we enjoy it -- needs more cash to remain a part of the local narrative. To keep its head above water, they're asking readers for help -- $50,00, to be exact. If you'd like to donate to a good cause and a great site, go here.

Ok. Here we go. We're going to attempt this post without fainting. And, if talk of blood makes you just as queasy, you might want to brace. See, Gavin Newsom/The PlumpJack Group's semi-annual "Burger for a Pint" blood drive kicks off tomorrow in San Francisco. (Ugh, we're getting tingly now.) If you donate a heaping pint of your viscous, crimson bodily fluid, you will be rewarded with one free Balboa Burger and fries compliments of Balboa Cafe. (Deep abdominal breaths, stretching.)

According Balboa Cafe's Facebook page: "Those who donate blood at the Blood Centers of the Pacific mobile donation center outside the restaurant receive a certificate for a complimentary burger, which can be redeemed over the next week." (Stepping away from the laptop; brief walk around SFist HQ.)

You can simply show up to 3199 Fillmore (SF) or 38 Miller Avenue (Mill Valley), or "visit www.bloodheroes.com and enter the sponsor code 'Balboa-SF' or 'Balboa-MV,'" depending on where you want to donate your life juice.

Date, time:
San Francisco: Thursday, April 21, 2010, 1 - 7 p.m.
Mill Valley: Thursday, April 28, 2010, 1 - 7 p.m.

Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger -- the pilot turned hero who safely landed crippled US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River this past January, which resulted in saving the lives of all 155 people aboard -- has donated his pilot cap for auction. Sully gave up his prized hat in order to raise money for two public schools in the East Bay: Oakland’s Lockwood Elementary and San Ramon’s Dougherty Valley High School.

"Sully and I were excited by the opportunity to help these two public schools," said Lorrie Sullenberger, Sully's wife. "We were eager to make this donation to the school auction. We hope that the winner will enjoy owning Sully’s pilot’s hat, but also that they will be happy that they have helped fund two deserving educational institutions."

The winning bid will receive Sully's personal pilot's hat and, according to the eBay page, "experience great satisfaction from having made a contribution to support public education." (However, it should be noted that he was not wearing this hat on January 15, 2009, the day he safely landed the aircraft in the Hudson River; in fact, he did not wear any other pilot's cap on that trip.) The pilot's hat is autographed by Sully and sits inside a pretty protective plastic box. What's more, you'll get "a personally written note from Chesley and Lorrie Sullenberger thanking them for supporting public education."

Although it opened in 2007, Dougherty Valley High School was "ranked by the Academic Performance Index as one of the top schools in its district." Also, Lockwood Elementary is in one of the Oakland Unified School District’s poorest neighborhoods, with one of the City’s highest crime rates. So, you know, both schools could really use your help.

Anyway, if you want to give or receive the perfect Christmas gift, this is it. Bid on Sully's pilot cap on eBay. Bidding ends on Monday, December 14.

Geo Fanelli is upset. A onetime Gavin Newsom supporter, the San Jose man plunked down $500 donation to see the SF mayor at a "Green for Newsom" event in Los Angeles, which was cancelled after he dropped out the California gubernatorial race.

"They said you had to pay to attend this meet-and-greet, which I did. It was $500," Fanelli tells Hank Plante (the CBS 5 journo whose relationship with Gavin ended soon after this disastrous interview.) "I then booked a flight, flew down to LA that morning, and waited. Then at about 3:30 or so, 4 o'clock, the event was cancelled."

After asking Newsom for a refund, he told Fanelli no. (After all, it was, you know, a donation.)

Read more about it at CBS 5.

We know. Money is tight. Very tight. But people are starving in San Francisco. Not just the homeless, but people you might even know. People close to you. Your friends and family and neighbors. Seriously.

Which is why, even though we stuck this plea in yesterday's Day Around the Bay, we're going to bring this up again today: SF Food Bank has a great dollar-for-dollar (up to $10,000!) deal going on right now. But you have to give today. Why? Because the dollar--for-dollar deal ends tomorrow.

Please visit SF Food Bank for more information, to send them a donation, or whatever. Can afford to give? No problem. You can share this link on your Facebook page, spam it to your pals with disposable incomes, or Retweet it. Just do it today, please.

SF Food Bank, for those of you who don't know, provides nutritious food to low-income families in San Francisco "to ensure that no one goes hungry this holiday season or any time during the year."And in this seemingly endless recession, they're hurting. Bad. Help them out, won't you? (Note: if you don't give, you will make this cat commit suicide.)

Brace yourselves. This one is hard to watch. Mainly because they're so young. Because they shouldn't have to be doing this. However, we cannot commend high school student Kami Baker (friend of the 15-year-old gang rape victim/survivor) enough for blasting Richmond school officials for lack of safety, lack of forethought, and lack of above average job skills.

Describing her friend as a churchgoer who struggled to fit in at school, the victim arrived alone to the Richmond High School homecoming dance in a "gorgeous in a sparkling purple dress and faux diamond baubles." After having fun at the dance, she had no idea the horror waiting for her at Richmond High School.

"This story has disrupted the school's morale greatly, including my own. I am friends with the girl," Baker told school officials. "When I started here, I felt extremely unsafe and so did she, due to the lack of police officers and security officers."

SFist commenter kmsinsf, who contacted the school to "see if there was somewhere to donate for the victim's treatment or college fund or something...and to send well wishes," posted the following information for those of you who want to do something. You can mail it to: Richmond High School, c/o Assault Victim, 1250 23rd Street Richmond, CA 94804 (checks made to: Richmond High Student Fund)

Haven't you heard? Medjool is the new Zeitgeist. It's true. (Well, what with the good folks at 7x7 Magazine now waxing poetic over the Mission cyclist bar these days, even the Routunda at Neiman Marcus could win that title.) So, why not head over to the place you used to hate for a very good cause?

See, Reason To Party will be throwing another smashing bash on hte last Thursday of August to raise much-needed funds for the San Francisco Food Bank, an organization that redistributes excess food to those who need it most. (Sadly, not every soul in the city could score a press pass to SFChefsFoodWine. Remember, scores of people go to bed hungry every night in San Francisco, the alleged food epicenter of the U.S.) And the party will be a regular hoot. There will be no cover, choice DJ sounds, friendly people, free appetizers, and all funds will be raised the evening's liquor sales.

Reason To Party
Thursday, August 27
8 p.m. - 2 a.m.
Medjool (2522 Mission Street)
free (but you must purchase lots of booze!)

In recovery and/or can't make it, but still want to give to San Francisco Food Bank? No problem. You can donate right here.

By now, many of us have read about the saga of a local mother's efforts to find a spot in a homeless shelter for her and her three children. We all feel kind of powerless with regards to her situation, but one way we can help many women in need is by donating diapers and tampons to low-income family advocacy groups. Apparently, WIC money doesn't cover diapers, and diaper companies won't donate them either.

You can donate virtually, using one of the Amazon wishlists on Help a Mother Out's site. If you donate by this Friday, and send your proof of purchase to Help a Mother Out, they'll send you a Mother Day's ecard for your honoree. You can also donate the following unopened items in person through May 31 at Natural Resources in SF (1367 Valencia St.) or SadieDey's Cafe in Oakland (4210 Telegraph Ave): Sanitary napkins & tampons, Toothpaste & toothbrushes, Deodorant, Toiletries (shampoos, lotions, and potions), Hotel soaps and travel-sized toiletries, Diapers (size 3-6 especially), Pull-ups, Diaper wipes, Diaper ointment, and Baby/toddler toiletries.

While Gavin Newsom tours California to tout his successes as mayor of San Francisco -- not to mention spending the weekend at the insider-baseball-y Democratic Convention in Sacramento, along with practically every other SF progressive and wonk -- he hasn't solved San Francisco's ails as thoroughly as he might want you to think he has.

Take, for example, the story of Kelaya and her family. Kelaya took her family and ran away from an abusive situation. She was, as of earlier this month, begging for cash to get a motel room and food for her and her three (3) kids, Dorian, Kameko and baby Marcus. Local photographer and blogger Tangobaby has the full story.

I met this beautiful family on my way home from a photo shoot today. I walked past them, just like the other people on their way home. I admit it. I saw her and sailed on by. I read her sign ($60 for a motel room... you know what kind of motel room $60 will get you in this city).

But I had seen the tears in her eyes, too, and so halfway down the block, I yelled at myself inside my head for being an asshole and went back. I had $30 in my wallet and gave it to her.

Tangobaby updates the story with a few signs of hope: Kelaya temporarily found shelter and will be receiving assistance, which includes "a small stipend ($635 a month) plus food stamps and health care." But it's still not enough.

While finding anything about homelessness on Newsom's site has proven fruitless, the San Francisco mayor talks about 'care not cash,' saying the numbers have improved. But 'care not cash' just isn't working, at least in this case. Yes, Kelaya has a social worker, but it sure doesn't sound adequate to keep her family on its feet. (She doesn't even have a way to keep milk/formula for her baby!)