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Author: Alfredo Casuso

Union Square Blooming Take Place March 27 – May 27

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Media contact: David Perry & Associates, Inc. / David Perry / (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com    

“Union Square in Bloom” At the Center of Mayor Breed’s Downtown
 “Welcome Back to SF” Recovery Plan to Enliven
Iconic Downtown San Francisco Venues 

Union Square Blooming Take Place March 27 – May 27


14 March 2022 – San Francisco, CA:  If you plant it, they will come. That is the concept behind Union Square in Bloom, in which the entire Union Square district bursts forth in colorful floral displays to welcome residents, workers and visitors to the heart of San Francisco. BloomSF is part of Mayor Breed’s Downtown Recovery Plan and “Welcome Back to SF” program kicking off today. As part of the initiative, #BloomSF, a number of San Francisco’s iconic destinations, including Union Square (www.visitunionsquaresf.com) will offer coordinated, week-long programming March 27 through April 2 to welcome workers and visitors back downtown. The greater “San Francisco in Bloom” programming will include concerts, a wine walk, stand-up comedy, a silent disco, arts & crafts, food trucks, outdoor fitness classes and more. Additionally, floral art installations will be placed around Downtown. The multi-venue programming and installations are designed to allow visitors the ability to experience different events while appealing to a variety of tastes and interests.  For more information on the citywide program and the full schedule of event go online to www.bloomsf.org 

Following this kickoff event, Union Square Alliance will announce Union Square in Bloom. Every week beginning March 27, a new part of the Union Square district will be planted with flowers culminating on May 27 with the entire area fully in bloom. Union Square is looking forward to creating an annual tradition of blooms in Spring.

“Union Square has a rich history and tradition with flowers,” said Marisa Rodriguez, Executive Director for the Union Square Alliance, noting that Macy’s has hosted a flower show in the Square since 1964.  “For decades, flowers, particularly daffodils, were handed out to visitors walking through Maiden Lane. And just this past weekend, with the return of Flower Bulb Day, over 10,000 people came to the Square to take home free tulips. It was easily the largest gathering in Union Square since before the onset of the pandemic.”

Along with Union Square, other venues taking part in the #BloomSF effort include The Ferry Building, Embarcadero Center, Salesforce Plaza and Salesforce Transit Center and Park, Westfield Mall and The Crossing, the City’s newest outdoor community activation, in offering food, beverages, entertainment and activities during the week.

Every two weeks starting March 27, public areas, storefronts, restaurants and retail outlets will join together to “Grow the Square” with colorful and creative floral displays with culmination of the whole district “In Bloom” by May 27.  In addition, every Saturday, 1pm – 5pm, The Union Square Alliance presents a free outdoor music series in the Square 

About the Union Square Alliance:
The Union Square Alliance serves members and creates a high-quality visitor experience by managing and activating public spaces, attracting new investment, and advocating for the District’s future success. Union Square is the vibrant heart of San Francisco and an international destination where visitors come to enjoy exceptional retail experiences, luxury hotels, world-class cultural institutions, and great public spaces found only in the City by the Bay.  A lively 27-block community surrounding Union Square Park in the heart of San Francisco makes up the Union Square Alliance. It is generally bordered on the north by Bush Street, on the east by Kearny Street, on the south by Market Street and on the west Taylor Street. For more information on the Alliance, go to www.visitunionsquaresf.com 

BloomSF www.bloomsf.org is a multi-day re-opening celebration of San Francisco consisting of a series of special events and programming running Sunday, March 27 through Saturday, April 2 at some of the city’s most visible and iconic locations including, Embarcadero Center, Ferry Building, Salesforce Plaza, Salesforce Transit Center and Park, The Crossing at East Cut, Union Square and Westfield San Francisco Centre. Offerings will include music, entertainment, activities, specialty food & beverages, outdoor fitness classes, floral art instillations and more.  BloomSF is in partnership with Mayor London Breed’s Downtown Recovery Plan and “Welcome Back to SF” campaign to expedite a swift citywide revival and ensure a robust and welcome return of workers, locals, and visitors to downtown San Francisco and beyond.  #BloomSF

AGAINST THE GRAIN THEATRE’S NEW FILM BOUND TO RAISE TOUGH QUESTIONS

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For Immediate Release: March 8th, 2022

AGAINST THE GRAIN THEATRE’S NEW FILM BOUND TO RAISE TOUGH QUESTIONS

Four life stories that challenge Canada’s myth of belonging are tied together by Handel’s enduring music, a stellar cast of voices and in association with Crow’s Theatre and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Watch the trailer for BOUND — by Dylan Toombs

TORONTO, March 8, 2022— “How welcoming are we as a country, as a city, as a community?” These questions are posed in the contemporary hybrid opera-film BOUND presented by Against the Grain Theatre (AtG) in association with Crow’s Theatre and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. 

BOUND premieres online at 8 PM EST on March 27th, 2022, and is co-directed by the creators of last year’s daring, internationally acclaimed and Juno-nominated Messiah/Complex, AtG Artistic Director Joel Ivany and Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity Director of Indigenous Arts Reneltta Arluk. 

BOUND’s libretto is written by Ivany, whose lyrics explore ripped-from-the-headlines social issues interwoven with interviews featuring four Canadian citizens of diverse backgrounds who have each had challenging—and remarkably different—journeys finding their place and voice in Canada.

BOUND storytellers (left to right) Zulfikar Hirji, Rania Younes, Nadiya Vasdani, and Cindy Rivers — Photo by Dylan Toombs

Our four storytellers: Toronto-born Dr. Nadiya Vasdani, who attended medical school in the Caribbean and did her residency in Flint, Michigan, during the water crisis; Newfoundland and Labrador-born Cindy Rivers, who found work across the country in the oil patch, but struggled with issues related to her gender identity; Dr. Zulfikar Hirji, who immigrated to Canada from Uganda in the 1970s as a political refugee only to face barriers of racism in his new homeland; and Rania Younes, who had a thriving career in advertising in Dubai before relocating to Canada, where she tried to break into the industry, with little success. 

BOUND is about the transformational experiences of our four storytellers, and these non-fiction narratives undergo their own transformation in the film—shape-shifting from interview segments exploring their lived experiences into song.

The storytellers are represented in the film by musical avatars, including AtG alumni and celebrated Canadian singers: Miriam Khalil (soprano), Andrew Haji (tenor), and Justin Welsh (baritone), and making her AtG and Canadian debut, American trans woman Breanna Sinclairé (lyric soprano).

Photos of BOUND soloists (Justin Welsh, Breanna Sinclairé, Miriam Khalil, and Andrew) walking down a cement ramp with Toronto skyline in the background.
BOUND soloists (left to right) Justin Welsh, Breanna Sinclairé, Miriam Khalil, and Andrew Haji — Photo by Dylan Toombs

The power and emotion of these vocals propel BOUND, guided by composer Kevin Lau’s surprising and creative score, which will have opera fans recognizing a number of segments from Handel’s operas and oratorios. 

Handel’s work emerged as a base for BOUND, which began as an exploratory AtG workshop in 2017, with singers choosing arias that resonated with them personally, and Lau adding creativity and deviations to Handel’s music. Parallels developed between the stories being told—lives which had deviated from what society expected them to be—and the deviations that Lau brought to Handel’s original scores. In BOUND, Lau enjoys the freedom to move around his source material, zooming in and out — plucking samples from Handel’s music to riff off — and creating something new in the musical journey, enhanced by the electronic design of Toronto DJ ACOTE (Jeff-Antoine Côté). 

The film’s music and vocals are anchored with assurance by the mighty sounds of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Nathan Brock.

Photo of Nadiya Vasdani in BOUND — Photo by Dylan Toombs

“The stories represented in AtG’s BOUND are posing some very direct and challenging questions that pull at the threads of the cozy, Canadian narrative that we are an accepting nation which celebrates diversity, and welcomes newcomers to our vast and resource-rich lands,” said co-director Joel Ivany. “While these stories are connected through themes of alienation, adaptation, and transformation, they also offer us unique portraits of resilience, strength, and hope.” 

“Crow’s Theatre was so proud to host Against The Grain last year for a digital residency at Streetcar Crowsnest. AtG has been a trailblazer during the pandemic, creating dazzling screen-based work that reaches new audiences and redefines what a contemporary opera producer can be,” said Crow’s Theatre Artistic Director Chris Abraham. “We are very honoured to be a small part of their newest work BOUND and can’t wait for Crow’s audiences to discover their latest filmed creation.”

“The Toronto Symphony Orchestra is thrilled to partner with Against the Grain Theatre on BOUND, another work that furthers the musical conversation between art and community-building,” said Gustavo Gimeno, Toronto Symphony Orchestra Music Director. “As with Messiah/Complex, I know our audience will appreciate the innovation, imagination and insight that BOUND offers and the ability to appreciate the way music can shed light onto our very personal stories.”

Where, When, and How to Watch

AtG’s BOUND will be available to stream on-demand beginning March 27th – April 24th.

Ticket registration for this performance is available free of charge.

Registration is now available at https://bit.ly/boundtix

ABOUT AtG

Against the Grain Theatre (AtG) is an award-winning Canadian opera company committed to revitalizing the operatic art form by presenting an eclectic array of musical works in unconventional spaces and innovative ways. With a mandate to create and introduce audiences to outside-the-box opera experiences, AtG performs fresh, daring re-interpretations of classical repertoire to create thrilling, intimate, unforgettable experiences shared between artists and audiences.

For more information, please visit AtG online at atgtheatre.com, on Twitter and Instagram @AtGTheatre, and on Facebook at facebook.com/AtGTheatre. 

About Crow’s Theatre

CROW’S THEATRE ignites passionate and enduring engagement between our audiences and artists by creating, producing, and promoting unforgettable theatre that examines and illuminates the pivotal narratives of our times. Founded in 1983, Crow’s Theatre has premiered over 50 new, daring, Canadian works, including the multiple-award-winning production of Brad Fraser’s Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love; John Mighton’s A Short History of Night, James O’Reilly’s Time After Time: The Chet Baker Project, Lee MacDougall’s High Life, Annabel Soutar’s The Watershed, Kristen Thomson’s The Wedding Party, Julius Caesar and Tartuffe with Groundling Theatre Company and Canadian Stage, The Flick with Outside the March, Emil Sher’s adaptation of Ian Brown’s The Boy in the Moon, and Cliff Cardinal’s radical retelling of As You Like It.

About TSO

One of Canada’s most respected arts organizations, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) plays a vital role in the city’s dynamic cultural life. Committed to serving local and national communities through vibrant performances and expansive educational activities, the TSO offers a wide range of programming that resonates with people of all ages and backgrounds. With a notable recording and broadcast history complementing international touring engagements, the TSO is a unique musical ambassador for Canada around the world.

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MEDIA CONTACT

Joshua Knelman
Communications
Against the Grain Theatre
media@againstthegraintheatre.com

MEDIA CONTACT

Robin Whiffen
Executive Director
Against the Grain Theatre
robin@againstthegraintheatre.com

Full Schedule of Films Announced for 19th Annual International Ocean Film Festival

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media contact:
David Perry & Associates, Inc / David Perry (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com 

Full Schedule of Films Announced for 19th Annual International Ocean Film Festival April 7 – 10 at San Francisco’s Cowell Theater Fort Mason with additional screenings at The Roxie SF and Smith Rafael Film Center Virtual Presentations April 11 – 24 

Tickets Go on Sale Today March 10 for Largest Festival in the World for Ocean-Related Films 

13World Premieres, 9 US Premieres and 7 Bay Area Premieres.
Films have been received from 30 countries
and 17 filmmakers will be in attendance.

10 March 2022 – San Francisco, CA:  The waves of emotion were palpable as supporters of ocean awareness gathered on March 10th at San Francisco’s Le Meridien Hotel (333 Battery Street) to celebrate and preview the films for the upcoming 19th Annual International Ocean Film Festival, coming to three venues in the Bay Area April 7 – 10 for the first in-person event since 2019: The Cowell Theatre at Fort Mason and the Roxie in San Francisco, and the Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael. In addition, virtual presentations will also be offered April 11 – 24. Tickets to the entire festival went on sale today March 10 online www.intloceanfilmfest.org

“After two years, it’s wonderful to be back, truly together, in one space versus just in one Zoom Room,” said Ana Blanco, Executive Director for the Festival. “Having said that, the last two years of virtual programming allowed us to expand our reach, globally. This year, our Festival returns in real time for real in-seat audiences. However, it will also have a virtual component as well.”

This year’s 19th Annual International Ocean Film Festival is marked with 18 days of ocean-focused, independent films. In addition, the Festival will host lively Q&A panels with film directors, marine scientists, and industry experts, as they discuss the films and share insights into ocean conservation, preservation, and legislation.    

In addition, this year marks the 11th Annual Student Film Competition in which students tell their stories about the ocean and explore the exciting world of filmmaking. Support for the Student Film Competition comes from PADI (the Professional Association of Diving Instructors). The Student Film Competition is open to middle school and high school students (grades 6 through 12) from around the world. Films must be five minutes or less in duration, and touch upon some subject matter regarding the ocean. The finalist will be announced on Monday, March 21, 2022. The program is free to attend and is scheduled for Sunday, April 10, 2022 at 12:30 in the Tidepool at Fort Mason. 

According to Blanco, the past two years’ “Virtual Oceans” online Festivals were seen by a record breaking 10,000 people and more than 2500 students took part in the online education series.  During 2020 and 2021, submissions were received from around the world, including films from the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malaysia, and Germany.  For this year’s 19th Annual International Ocean Film Festival, Blanco is expecting an even great number – and greater diversity – of submissions.

According to Blanco, this year’s 2022 19th Annual International Ocean Festival will present 13 World Premieres, 9 United States Premieres and 7 Bay Area Premieres. Films have been received from 30 countries and 17 filmmakers will be in attendance.The Festival accepts films of all genres that focus on any of the varied aspects of our big, blue ocean. Subject matter ranges from, but is not limited to, marine wildlife, conservation efforts, ocean environments, coastal cultures, ocean sports and exploration, ocean heroes, and innovative technology designed to help protect the ocean. Films can be documentaries, narratives, shorts, animation, and full-length films from around the world. A number of finalists from the main film festival program will be selected to participate in the world-renowned International Ocean Film Festival Traveling Program. This year’s film categories include Environmental, Marine Sciences/Wildlife, Exploration & Ocean Sports, Coastal Island Culture. Animation, Conservation, Diversity Equity & Inclusion, Shorts and Female Directors.

Since its launch in 2004, the San Francisco-based International Ocean Film Festival has attracted thousands of spectators of all ages from around the world, including film enthusiasts, sea athletes, educators, and environmental supporters. Since then, the festival has presented over 815 films from 40 different countries and featured post-film Q&A sessions with visiting filmmakers, special panel discussions with content experts, and the Annual Free Student Education Program. It was the first event of its kind in North America, inspired by the well-established ocean festival in Toulon, France, which has continued to draw large audiences for more than 40 years.

Current sponsors for the upcoming 19th Annual International Ocean Film Festival include, The Consul General of Canada of San Francisco and Silicon Valley, Laura Wais Underwater Imaging, NOAA, PG&E, RingCentral, RBC Wealth Management and The SSA Group.

Hotel and hospitality partners for the 19th Annual International Ocean Film Festival are:  The Hotel Griffon, The Hotel Zetta, the J.W. Marriott, the Kimpton Alton Hotel, Le Meridien, the Lodge at the Presidio and the Omni Hotel.

The International Ocean Film Festival encourages its patrons, supporters and partners to follow the most current advice from the Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization for preventing the further spread of the COVID-19 in Northern California and beyond, and to stay tuned for announcements about International Ocean Film Festival events once the threat level is reduced. The 19th Annual International Ocean Film Festival will take place April 7 – 10 at San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture (2 Marina Boulevard, Pier 2), the Roxie Theatre in San Francisco’s Mission District (3117 16th Street) and at the Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael (1118 4th Street, San Rafael) and April 11 – 23 online at www.intloceanfilmfest.org. The International Ocean Film Festival is a registered 501(c) 3 non-profit. 

Following is the full schedule of films for 2022 19th Annual International Ocean Film Festival

Cowell Theater, Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture

Thursday April 7 at 4 pm – Program #1

  • The Oyster Farmer, Kika Tuff (USA) 5 min
  • Albacore Tuna: The Tale of a Fish, Jennifer Marie Bell*, Jessica Eden (USA) 37 min
  • The Witness is a Whale, Nick Dean* and Cheryl Dean (Austria) 52 min

Thursday April 7 at 7 pm – Program #2 

  • Back to the Sea, Jack Gordon* (USA) 6 min
  • Eight Arms That Unite Us, Abdillah Intje (Indonesia) 9 min
  • The Last Vaquita, Ed Harrison* & Luke Ripley (UK) 13 min
  • In Too Deep – The True Cost of Deep Sea Mining, Maarten van Rouveroy* (Netherlands) 19 min

Friday April 8 at 1 pm – Program #3

  • Mangrove Forests: Roots of the Sea I Marine Ecosystem Diaries, Rebecca Daniel (UK) 4 min
  • The Dark Hobby, Paula Fouce* (United States) 56 min

Friday April 8 at 4 pm – Program #4: Kiel Program

  • The Origin – Life around the Hot Spring, Claudia Schmitt* (Germany) 4 min
  • STURMFAHRT – The World’s Toughest Sailing Race, Philipp Grieß (Germany) 90 min

Friday April 8 at 7 pm – Program #5: Surf Program 

  • Resurrection Artist, Scott Fitzloff* (USA) 22 min
  • Waterman, Isaac Halasima*, Steven Ungerleider, David Ulich, Michael Cascio (USA) 93 min

Saturday April 9 at 10 am – Program #6 

  • Deep Look: Starfish Gallop With Hundreds of Tubular Feet, Josh Cassidy* (USA) 5 min
  • Adventures of a Maritime Archaeologist, Kurt Mann* (USA) 12 min
  • I Just Went for a Swim, Adam Dostalek* (Australia) 18 min
  • Nā Kama Kai – Children Of The Ocean, Ju Martins* (USA) 36 min
  • Celestial, Jack Gordon* (USA) 28 min

Saturday April 9 at 1 pm – Program #7: Sharks Program

  • Great White Sharks, Lakan Duskin (USA) 3 min
  • Fish with Superpowers – The Clownfish and the Shark, Hendrik S. Schmitt* (Germany) 5 min
  • Emperors of the Deep – Short, William McKeever*, Paul Rachman (United States) 20 min
  • Sharks of the Sea of Cortés: A Lost Treasure?, James Ketchum* (Mexico) 27 min
  • Changing Seas: “Recreational Shark Fishing: Collaborating for Conservation”, Kristin Paterakis* (USA) 27 min

Saturday April 9 at 4 pm – Program #8 

  • The Forest Stands Tall, Abbey Dias* (USA) 2 min
  • Veins of an Island, Shireen Rahimi* (USA) 8 min
  • Coextinction, Gloria Pancrazi, Elena Jean (Canada) 93 min

Saturday April 9 at 7 pm – Program #9 

  • ICEolation, Sophie Ballagh & Ewan Blyth (Antarctica) 28 min
  • Soul of the Ocean, Howard Wesley Hall* (USA) 78 min

Sunday April 10 at 10 am – Program #10 

  • Hungry Jellyfish, Sabrina Inderbitzi (Switzerland) 4 min
  • My Journey Across the Ocean, Madeleine Kelly Toomey (USA) 4 min
  • The Blue Forest, Philip Hamilton (UK) 35 min
  • Twist and Spin, Peter Donovan Walker (Vanuatu) 50 min

Sunday April 10 at 1 pm – Program #11 

  • Planktonium, Jan van IJken (Netherlands) 15 min
  • Open Ocean, Nathan Siegel* (Spain) 83 min

Sunday April 10 at 4 pm – Program #12

  • Tess Felix: Portrait Artist, Cynthia Abbott*, Andrea E. Leland (USA) 8 min
  • Bodies of Water, Lavado Stubbs (USA) 10 min
  • The Ocean Solution, Darcy Hennessey Turenne (USA) 14 min
  • Coding for Crayfish, Serge Raemaekers, Karen Logan (South Africa) 30 min
  • INTO THE BLUE: The Wonders of The Coral Triangle, Robert Fonollosa (Spain) 50 min

Smith Rafael Film Center

Friday April 8 at 7pm – Program #1 

  • Lionfish: Ocean Murder Hedgehogs, Sarah Baumann* (USA) 2 min
  • Soul of the Ocean, Howard Wesley Hall (USA) 78 min

Saturday April 9 at 7pm – Program #2 

  • Tess Felix: Portrait Artist, Cynthia Abbott*, Andrea E. Leland (USA) 8 min
  • Selma, Maciek Jabłoński (Poland) 92 min

Sunday April 10 at 4pm – Program #3

  • Stranded: A Whale Rescue Tale, Bruce Narin*, Ashley Love (USA) 25 min
  • Archipelago New York – An Island City, Thomas Halaczinsky* (Germany) 53 min

RoxieTheater

Saturday April 9 at 1:30 pm – Program #1

  • It’s Time to Listen, Louisa Gilbert (Canada) 7 min
  • Fishing with Wally, Ellie Schmidt* (USA) 20 min
  • Bangla Surf Girls, Elizabeth D Costa*, Lalita Krishna (Canada) 85 min

Sunday April 10 at 1pm – Program #2 

  • Deep Look: Sea Slugs Scrub Seagrass by the Seashore, Mike Seely (USA) 4 min
  • Whetū Mārama – Bright Star, Toby Mills, Aileen O’Sullivan (New Zealand) 90 min

SAN FRANCISCO WILL NO LONGER REQUIRE PROOF OF VACCINATION OR A NEGATIVE TEST TO ENTER CERTAIN INDOOR PUBLIC SETTINGS 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Wednesday, March 9, 2022   

Contact: Alison Hawkes, Director of Communications, DPH.Press@sfdph.org 

SAN FRANCISCO WILL NO LONGER REQUIRE PROOF OF VACCINATION OR A NEGATIVE TEST TO ENTER CERTAIN INDOOR PUBLIC SETTINGS  

Individual businesses may choose to be more restrictive than the City’s guidelines; requirements remain in effect for indoor “mega” events of over 1,000 people  

San Francisco, CA – With COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continuing to decline, the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) announced today that as of Friday, March 11 proof of vaccination or a negative test will no longer be required to enter inside businesses where food and drink is consumed, such as restaurants and bars, and where elevated breathing occurs, such as gyms and fitness studios.  

As always, businesses can decide to be more restrictive than local health guidelines and can continue to require proof of vaccination or a negative test from their staff and clients. Masks can also still be required. Vaccinations remain the best defense against the virus, and SFDPH strongly recommends everyone who is eligible get vaccinated and boosted to protect themselves and others. Additionally, masks are recommended where an additional layer of protection is desired, and when medically vulnerable or unvaccinated people are present.   

Per state guidelines, proof of vaccination or a negative test is still required to enter indoor “mega” events, currently defined as gatherings of 1,000 people or more. SFDPH will continue to work closely with the business community to provide related guidance and assistance in the coming days.   

“With cases and hospitalizations continuing to fall and our high vaccination rate providing a strong defense against the virus, San Francisco is ready to further reduce COVID-19 restrictions and allow individuals to make their own decisions to protect themselves and their loved ones. The proof of vaccination and testing requirements served their purpose in keeping these spaces as safe as possible for staff and patrons. Rolling it back is part of coming out of crisis mode and learning to live with the virus,” said Health Officer, Dr. Susan Philip. “We have had a successful and productive partnership with the business community and thank them for their efforts in keeping our City safe. We are devoted to directing City resources toward protecting the most vulnerable in our population and our highly impacted communities through vaccinations, testing, masks and more. And as always, we will continue to monitor the data and science to determine what comes next.”  

On August 12, 2021, San Francisco became the first city in the nation to require certain business to show proof of vaccination before entering indoors. With strong support and implementation from the business community, the policy was successful in tamping down the fall surge in cases and hospitalizations caused by the Delta variant and carried the City over during the even more contagious winter surge in Omicron cases while businesses, schools and essential services remained open. San Francisco has had one of the lowest hospitalization and death rates in the nation, despite its dense population and active restaurant and entertainment sector, in large part due to high vaccination (83%) and booster rates, and strong community and business support for other COVID-19 safety protocols, including masking.   

“Over the last two years, our business community successfully kept our residents and workers safe as they continued to work tirelessly to keep their doors open. As the variants spread in the community, our businesses were quick to adapt. They implemented safeguards to ensure people were protected through the surges and beyond,” said Kate Sofis, Executive Director of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. “It took bold leadership of many of our businesses, both large and small, to get to where we are today, and the City is grateful to have such important partners.”   

The vast majority of San Franciscans, or 83%, are fully vaccinated. The City is keenly focused on strategies to reach communities that were hardest hit by COVID with vaccination events to close the gap on vaccinations and boosters by race/ethnicity, testing support, mask distribution, and other resources.  

 ###  

Department of Public Health

City and County of San Francisco

Twitter: @SF_DPH

Facebook: @sfpublichealth

Humanitarian Relief Concert For Ukraine set for Saturday Afternoon in Golden Gate Park

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Contact:

Patricia Wilson (415) 748-0494

David Hatfield (415) 200-6578
San Francisco Recreation and Parks

rpdcommunications@sfgov.org 

Humanitarian Relief Concert For Ukraine set for Saturday Afternoon in Golden Gate Park

#SF4Ukraine event seeks to raise $20,000 to provide desperately needed relief for the nearly 2 million refugees fleeing Ukraine

SAN FRANCISCO–A coalition of organizations led by Sunset Piano, Illuminate, the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department and the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council will host an extraordinary event called “Slava Ukraini!” (Glory to Ukraine!) at the Golden Gate Bandshell on the Music Concourse from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 12.

The free concert seeks donations to benefit World Central Kitchen (WCK), which has been working on the ground throughout Ukraine and surrounding countries to feed displaced persons since the start of the crisis. Donations in support of this effort can be made to https://donate.wck.org/SF4Ukraine

Musicians will include Sunset Piano all-stars Allison Lovejoy, Elektra Schmidt, Fabio King’s Tropical Jam, Paulo Sultanum, Kevin Gerzevitz Trio, and Serene. In addition the event will feature Ukrainian singer Anytchka, and Traditional Ukrainian Dance by the Zoloti Maky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble. Poetry by Matt Gonzales, Agneta Falk Hirschman, and Mauro Ffortissimo. The event will be MC’d by Sunset Piano’s Dean Mermell and special guests.

This event will serve as a launch for a series of shows supporting the Ukrainian relief effort. Nearly a dozen shows, featuring almost 40 performers are scheduled for the month of March in the Bandshell and all will raise funds for CWK and Ukrainian relief. 

“San Francisco has been profoundly enriched by its Ukrainian community, and we are grateful for this opportunity to contribute to the advancement of peace during this challenging time. We stand in support of Ukraine’s democracy and the safety of all of its citizens,” said San Francisco Mayor London Breed.

“We stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people and we are honored to activate the Bandshell in support of this effort,” said SF Rec and Park General Manager Phil Ginsburg. “We’re hopeful people will come out to enjoy both the music and the park in support of a good cause.”

WCK began serving hot, nourishing meals within hours of the initial invasion and are now set up in eight Ukrainian cities including Odessa, Lviv, and Kyiv. WCK teams are also on the ground in Romania, Moldova, Hungary, and Slovakia.

Sunflowers, the national flower of Ukraine, will be passed out to the first 500 guests arriving for Saturday’s show.

“We are grateful for this opportunity to use the power of music and culture to help bring humanitarian relief in this time of crisis” said Dean Mermell, of Sunset Piano.

Illuminate is hosting more than 100 free live concerts at the Bandshell throughout 2022, but the March shows have now taken on extreme significance.

“It’s an unimaginable situation and our hearts go out to the Ukrainian people,” said Illuminate CEO Ben Davis. “We are committed to creating and activating our community, through the power of live music, to help end this suffering.”

A full calendar of Bandshell events, including details on all #SF4Ukraine shows, can be found at goldengatebandshell.org