RSVP HT Links

Hundreds of members, sponsors and donors attended the opening celebration for There's a Mystery There: Sendak on Sendak at the Contemporary Jewish Museum.

Locals gathered for the opening night of the San Francisco Symphony. The evening's highlights included the Symphonix opening night dinner and a performance by pianist Lang Lang.

Recently, at Larkspur’s Gallery Bergelli, owner Robin Critelli welcomed guests to meet and view artist Bryn Craig’s work, which was on display at a reception for the artist.

Michael Stars in The Village at Corte Madera kicked off Breast Cancer Awareness month with a PINK party, featuring pink champagne, pink energy drinks and pink desserts.

More than 300 people and their canine companions came out for an afternoon of food and music at WOOFStock, to support the Marin Humane Society. Emcee Mark Pitta and a surprise visit from local Robin Williams kept the audience entertained.

Mt. Tam Orthopedics invited the medical community and family and friends to their Larkspur offices to welcome Dr. Brian Su to their practice.

The San Francisco Yacht Club played host to the Leukemia Cup Regatta with special guest Vice President Gore.

Marin Education Fund's first annual Scholarship Night Gala was a success, with money raised going toward helping youth from low-income households in Marin County to attend college. The Fund has helped over 19,000 kids reach that goal, with 90 percent of scholarship recipients earning a four-year degree.

Locals recently enjoyed a fundraiser to benefit the Kentfield Hospital Foundation and to support author Joan Ryan’s release of her third book, The Water Giver: The Story of a Mother, a Son, and Their Second Chance.

Marinites crossed the bridge for an evening of relaxation at the Asian-influenced SenSpa, which has a full range of spa services, holistic healing based on Chinese medicine and wellness coaching and nutrition. Guests sipped champagne and snacked on healthy spa treats while indulging in mini services.

At Marin’s Gene Hiller, the Sausalito Film Festival presented Film, Fashion and Food, an evening with emcee Jan Wahl.

At the Rare Birds for WildCare reception at the Marin Jewelers Guild, guests came out to help support the guild in raising money for the nonprofit WildCare through the sales of one-of-a-kind bird pins and bird paintings and prints.

The Academy of Art University School of Fashion presented Styling: Dressing the Fashion Image, an exhibition of works from the school’s aspiring stylists and their collaborators. Images included concepts inspired by a part gypsy and flapper look created by local Erin Frederick and a Marlene Dietrich–inspired still life by Phillip Washington.

Nearly 1,400 volunteers and staff as well as 500 guide dog puppies in-training participated in the Hawaii FI'DO event hosted by Guide Dogs for the Blind. The annual celebration recognizes the hundreds of dedicated puppy raising volunteers who help raise good canine citizens and prepare them for their formal guide work training.

In Corte Madera board members from SPARK, the Larkspur Schools Foundation that supports both Neil Cummins Elementary and Hall Middle School, dined on gourmet burgers at the Counter opening and fundraiser to raise money for the foundation.

Novato residents Michael and Diane Mina celebrated Bastille Day with a French-themed party at Mina’s newest restaurant RN74, which is named after the road that travels through the Cote D’Or and the Burgundy wine region.

The Marin Humane Society hosted a private party along with personal tours, thanking over 175 supporters for the success of their new Cat Adoption Center. Thanks to the generosity of donors, adoption cats are now relaxing in spacious kitty condos with cat beds perched on shelves and furniture.

At the Tiburon home of Joe and Heidi Shekou, the Marin Symphony held a prelude recital featuring piano soloist Robin Sutherland.

Car aficionados celebrated the first annual Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance at the Marin Center Fairgrounds. Classic, vintage and alternative-fuel cars made up the 206-strong automobile display.

The Lark Theater hosted the west coast premiere of Mary Pickford: Muse of the Movies.

Matanzas Creek Winery welcomed guests to the annual Days of Wine and Lavender event. The Bennett Valley winery features two acres of lavender, has a lavender culinary program on site and is open to the public.

Local Narada Michael Walden and music legend Sting performed a benefit concert at Davies Symphony Hall to benefit Christopher Rodriguez, a young boy who was paralyzed by a stray bullet while at his piano lesson.

Jonathan Kathrein, who was attacked by a great white shark at Stinson Beach in 1998 and is the co-founder of Future Leaders for Peace, held a fundraising event at Wipeout Grill in Greenbrae. The group holds programs at schools where students learn leadership, mutual respect, communication and goal setting.

Blind Babies Foundation recently had a benefit at Pixar Animation Studios with a viewing of the new movie Up. The event featured a silent auction with Pixar memorabilia, guided tours of the studio complex, and a guest appearance by Up star Edward Asner.

Sausalito residents attended the Shu Uemura boutique's birthday event and "Lashion Show" featuring the new Lashes in Nature collection.

Locals enjoyed a day of sun, barbecue and music by the Sofa Kings at Stubbs Vineyard to raise money for Schools for Kabul, a student-run fundraising group that supports educational projects in Afghanistan. The group has already built one school in Kabul and hopes to raise more money for arts programs and student scholarships in the city.

The Foundation for Reed Schools put on a memorable Summer Sizzle Fashion Show with more than 200 locals in attendance. The event raises money to support art, foreign language, music, PE and technology in the Tiburon public schools.

Friends of the San Francisco Public Library hosted their annual literary gala—the 2009 Library Laureates Dinner: Celebrating the Theory of Evolution. The event attendees toasted the bicentennial of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species. The dinner raised over $150,000 for the San Francisco Public Library.

Novato’s Buck Institute, the nation’s only independent research institute focused on aging and age-related disease, welcomed 700 people for a sold-out gala. Obscura Digital used the exterior and interior walls of the Buck as a “canvas” by projecting moving and interactive images to create a unique backdrop for the evening and special guest Kendra Kassebaum, who plays Glinda in the San Francisco production of Wicked, performed for the black-tie-clad crowd.

Larry Mindel welcomed guests to his personal garden to taste the new Poggio house wine made by winemaker Brian Graham of Ramian Estates in Napa Valley. Above left: Amy Svendberg, Laiko Bahrs, Andrew Freeman; above right: Larry Mindel, Brian Graham.