The ninth annual San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program fundraising drive concluded today with a $22,000 check presentation and barrels of toys that were donated. The charitable group behind the fundraiser includes a list of popular Gentlemen's Clubs throughout the city, who have been raising funds for this worthwhile cause since Thanksgiving through charitable personal” from the clubs entertainers. The group has raised the most money to date – over $22,000 – plus barrels upon barrels of unwrapped toys and presents for families in need.
Todays event featured firefighters from around the city accepting the check and presents from some of the entertainers and was held at one of the gentlemens clubs, Déjà vu Centerfolds, located at 391 Broadway in San Francisco.
The fundraising efforts began back in November with an event at Larry Flynts Hustler Club. Over 10 clubs throughout San Francisco have participated in the program by offering a nightly benefit personal dance at a prime business hour as well as providing toy donation receptacles for patrons and employees. This years efforts have been in special honor of the late Danny Donaldson, a Gold Club manager who was deeply involved with the annual drive.
Thanks to the concerted efforts of everyone involved at each individual club -from the dancers, to the employees, to the management - this annual fundraiser is the largest single donor to the San Francisco Firefighters annual toy program. Previously, the fire chief presented Carouba with a gold badge for fundraising efforts – the only time a gold badge was bestowed on anyone outside of government. Carouba gave a non-verbal Youre Welcome” by purchasing and donating a custom painted candy-apple red Chevy Astro for future toy-hauling.
Participating clubs include Gold Club, Larry Flynts Hustler Club, Broadway Showgirls, The Condor, Déjà Vu Centerfolds, New Century Theater, Market Street Cinema, The Hungry I, Garden of Eden, Roaring 20s, Little Darlings and Déjà Vu Stockton Showgirls.
About the San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program:
The San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program is the citys largest and the nations oldest program of its kind. Since 1949, it has evolved from a few firefighters repairing broken toys and bikes for 15 families to, in 2004, 300 firefighters and friends volunteering their time to distribute over 200,000 toys to more than 40,000 disadvantaged children. Besides helping individual families in need, the Toy Program serves many community organizations, including shelters for abused women and children, inner-city schools, neighborhood groups, childrens cancer wards, and pediatric AIDS units. They also respond on a year round basis to displaced children who become victims of fires, floods and other such disasters.