BENIOFFS ROCK UCSF FUNDING
Music, once again, was the mighty prescription in raising $10 million at Pier 70 in support of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals during the sixth Dreamforce Concert for the Kids.
And 50,000 blue-lanyard-adorned attendees (ponying up $500 to $5,000) delightfully descended from “the cloud” to touch down at this Dogpatch warehouse where Salesforce founder Marc Benioff, his wife, philanthropist Lynne Benioff, and the Salesforce Foundation hosted a rockin’ spectacular (starring Foo Fighters, the Killers, and Gary Clarke Jr.) amid Benioff’s annual Dreamforce conference.
“We’ve raised $36 million over five years for UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals, here and in Oakland,” enthused Marc Benioff. “It’s a fantastic tradition — the largest event of its kind, really, in the world. You don’t see $10 million being raised for a hospital, especially a children’s hospital, in just one evening. Now we do that every single year.”
That tradition included presentation of the Gen. Colin Powell Award of Courage to former patient Zhenkang Zhao. As well as a gourmet Paula LeDuc buffet for some 3,500 VIPs within the sprawling space featuring three stages, numerous high-def screens and a post-party hosted by the Ron Conway Foundation and starring will.i.am and MC Hammer.
Since this world-class facility opened at Mission Bay, the biggest issue, said UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital CEO Mark Laret, is that it is full.
“We need a second, even third hospital,” said Laret, sneaking a hopeful glance at Benioff, the $200 million man, who, with his wife, personally kickstarted the creation of the $1.5 billion Mission Bay campus. “But first we’re rebuilding our Oakland facility to bring that up to standards we’ve established in San Francisco.”
Lynne Benioff regularly tours Mission Bay to see how the patients are interacting within that high-tech environment.
“Now we’re fine-tuning things,” she said. “The kids have computer panels at their beds where they control the TV and learn everything about their treatments. But they’ve also expressed a desire for those panels to have gaming integration.”
As polished and poised as Mrs. B is, we had no idea she’s also a die-hard “rock chick.”
“I grew up in Seattle, so rock ’n’ roll is in my bones. I don’t even know how many Foo concerts I’ve attended. But I treasure their guitar picks and keep them in a very safe place,” she e-mailed, post-concert. “As soon as I said my ‘hellos,’ I was down front-and-center in the mosh pit!”
Green scene: Even sans swings or slides, 500 sandbox supporters turned out in stylish force at the elegant Palace of Fine Arts where the Parks Alliance hosted its 10th anniversary Party in the Parks, co-chaired by Christine Gardner and Carolyn Edwards.
“With the Palace celebrating its Panama-Pacific International Exposition centennial, this seemed the perfect place to signal the next 100 years of San Francisco parks,” explained Edwards. “And what’s required to maintain those parks into the future.”
For park maintenance, that “what” means green — and not only the grass. These dedicated parents and park lovers raised $500K that will assist funding San Francisco Rec and Park’s Playground campaign to renovate the city’s 15 worst playgrounds.
The evening unspooled under this park’s glorious rotunda where a clear tent encompassed stellar views, a delectable Taste Catering buffet and a Curated State pop-up art gallery starring fantastic park-themed photographs for auction.
“We’re lucky that the city has so many fine parks,” noted Parks Alliance trustee Nancy Conner. “But we’re unlucky the way the city is changing with so much development. So we’re here to ask, ‘Where is our open space?’ ”
Some of it will soon be found along the Blue Greenway, a proposal to connect space and create parks along the southern waterfront from Lot A at AT&T Park all the way to Candlestick Point. While that’s still a dream, Parks Alliance raised almost $1 million to help San Francisco Rec and Park make that openspace ribbon a reality.
“We’re so grateful for Parks Alliance partnership. These are San Franciscans who care about their parks,” enthused Rec and Park General Manager Phil Ginsburg. “Whether it’s volunteering, policy advice or philanthropy, their entire focus is making our parks system better.”