Saturday, May 4, 2024 - 5:00pm

The Westin St. Francis Hotel - 335 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94102

(On May 4th, guests will use the temporary entrance to the Westin St Francis Hotel on Geary. The Powell entrance is not accessible. Signs will direct you, as well.)

The biggest night of the year is back! Join us on May 4th, 2024 for Crescendo. This year will be held at the iconic Westin St. Francis Hotel in Union Square where we are planning a night that promises to be both dazzling and impactful. Save the date and prepare to be part of an event that truly makes a difference. We can't wait to celebrate with you!

Crescendo honors champions who support the LGBTQ community and advance LGBTQ equality through their commitment to change, their leadership and their actions. This year’s event will take place in person, on Saturday, May 4, 2024, at the Westin St. Francis Hotel - San Francisco.

The evening will include performances by the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus and surprise guest appearances. Guests are welcomed with festive cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, followed by a multicourse gourmet seated dinner complete with live music, awards and a fabulous live auction. The evening concludes with a champagne and dessert reception where guests will toast to an unforgettable night.

2024 PHOTO GALLERY - STEP & REPEAT

The Step & Repeat is always a fabulous place to capture the fun and glamour of Crescendo.

All photos by Drew Altizer Photography.

2024 Honorees and Performances

Three awe-inspiring performances by the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus beautifully framed an evening of inspiring honorees, fearless speeches, and hilarious banter from Michael Tate.

All photos by Drew Altizer Photography.

2024 Live Auction and After-Party

Michael Tate ensured our live auction and Fund the Future made this a record breaking evening for SFGMC. It was the perfect way to send us all to the after-party with great dance tunes from DJ Kidd, a chance for everyone to leave a note on The Love Wall, and the best night caps to accompany the French fry bar!

A special thanks to the remarkable staff at The Westin St. Francis who made sure everything went perfectly!

All photos by Drew Altizer Photography.

TICKET INFORMATION

fOR DETAILS ON ALL TICKET LEVELS, PLEASE CLICK ON THE TICKET PRICE

Seated dinner and show, cocktail reception, and dessert reception for 1 guest
Premium seat location for dinner and show, cocktail reception, and dessert reception for 1 guest
● Seated dinner and show, cocktail reception, and dessert reception for up to 10 guests
● Sponsor recognition in all event materials, including signage and digital program
● Your name/company logo included in continuous sponsor loop and event website
● Seated dinner and show, cocktail reception, and dessert reception for up to 10 guests
● Sponsor recognition in all event materials, including signage and digital program
● Your name/company logo included in continuous sponsor loop and event website
● Premium table location at dinner
● Your name/company logo included on digital invitation, marketing and press materials
● Seated dinner and show, cocktail reception, and dessert reception for up to 10 guests
● Sponsor recognition in all event materials, including signage and digital program
● Your name/company logo included in continuous sponsor loop and event website
● Premium table location at dinner
● Your name/company logo included on digital invitation, marketing and press materials
● Rights to use SFGMC logo, photos, and video in your corporate/philanthropy materials
● Seated dinner and show, cocktail reception, and dessert reception for up to 10 guests
● Sponsor recognition in all event materials, including signage and digital program
● Your name/company logo included in continuous sponsor loop and event website
● Premium table location at dinner
● Your name/company logo included on digital invitation, marketing and press materials
● Rights to use SFGMC logo, photos, and video in your corporate/philanthropy materials
● VIP table location at dinner
● Seated dinner and show, cocktail reception, and dessert reception for up to 10 guests
● Sponsor recognition in all event materials, including signage and digital program
● Your name/company logo included in continuous sponsor loop and event website
● Premium table location at dinner
● Your name/company logo included on digital invitation, marketing and press materials
● Rights to use SFGMC logo, photos, and video in your corporate/philanthropy materials
● VIP table location at dinner
● Verbal recognition from the stage during the program

2024 CRESCENDO HONORARY CHAIR

Greg Sarris

2024 CRESCENDO CO-CHAIRS

Sally Kay

Vinney Lê

2024 CRESCENDO COMMITTEE

Raymond Gonzales
Neil Harper
Craig Matthews
Udit Sood

Brandon Baranco
Rev. Miguel Bustos
Meghan Cast
Mitzy de la Peña Medina

Honorees

Terrence D. Chan - Visionary Award

This year, we are thrilled to announce Terrence D. Chan as the recipient of the Visionary Award for his outstanding contributions to the LGBTQ+ community in the Bay Area. Terry’s journey began with the chorus in 1978, and ever since, he has been an indispensable part of our community. In 2020, his dedication led to the establishment of our permanent home, The Pansy L. Chan and Terrence D. Chan National Queer Arts Center. Through his support for numerous organizations both nationally and across the Bay Area, Terry’s passion for singing and self-expression has been a driving force. We eagerly anticipate celebrating and honoring his enduring legacy.

Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer SIEbel Newsom - Nancy Pelosi Ally Award

We are thrilled to announce that this year at Crescendo the Nancy Pelosi Ally Award is being presented to Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom. Their unwavering support for the LGBTQ+ community has had a profound impact not only locally but also on a global scale.

First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom has been challenging gender stereotypes through her remarkable documentaries through her organization The Representation Project, such as “Miss Representation” and “The Mask You You Live In.” The organization works to combat gender stereotyping and provides support to transgender youth and their families through gender-affirming workshops.

Governor Newsom has been a pioneer in advocating for LGBTQ rights, notably leading the charge for gay marriage in San Francisco long before it gained widespread acceptance. His commitment to the Arts community has been commendable, with California maintaining substantial funding for Arts programs under his leadership, including support for arts education initiatives at SFGMC.

Michael Tate - Live Auctioneer

A San Francisco resident since 1998, and a proud member of the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus since 2002, Michael is an inspired and inspiring auctioneer with a demeanor that endears him to diverse audiences. He is unabashedly passionate about his commitment to helping nonprofits achieve their goals. Over the past decade, he has worked with more than 50 local, national, and international nonprofit organizations to maximize their gala fundraising efforts. He can be reached on Facebook at Michael Tate Auctions or michaeltateauctions@gmail.com.

After-Party DJ KIDD

Reed Carlisle aka DJ Kidd has made a BIG splash as one of California’s top Queer Open Format. DJs. Originally from the Bay Area, Kidd started out humbly in 2017 with guest spots around the city as well as a popular Sunday night residency at Castro’s Q-Bar. As his status rose his goals did as well, and in the Spring of 2018 he launched Reunion, one of the Bay’s best Queer events featuring throwbacks and music from what many say is the Golden Age of Hip Hop and R&B.

Recently, Kidd has relocated to Los Angeles where he has been holding down multiple residencies at clubs like Redline and guest spots at clubs and LGBT+ festivals all over the nation including Las Vegas, Miami, New York and Atlanta among other cities.

Most recently he was honored with the invitation to go on tour with the incredibly talented Serpent With Feet (whom you may have recently seen on the bill with Bjork for her recent string of LA and SF performances). He also has been enjoying guest slots around the bay including clubs like Beaux (where he plays two Saturdays a month), El Rio, Jolene’s, Oakland’s Port Bar and more.

All in all it’s Kidd’s talent and drive that have landed him top spots at clubs around the US and have made him an invaluable addition to our team. For more DJ mixes please check out his Soundcloud Page, “Nothing But Fire”, and be sure to follow him on Instagram to keep up with his latest gigs!

LIVE AUCTION ITEMS

DONATION ONLY

Can't attend the event on May 4th but still want to show your support? Make a 100% tax-deductible donation to Crescendo! Proceeds directly support SFGMC performances and programs.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Additional event sponsorships are available. Sponsors receive premium hospitality and recognition benefits. Contact development@sfgmc.org for more information.

VOLUNTEER

Crescendo takes a team. If you are available on May 4th and interested in volunteer to help us on this incredible night, please contact us via this volunteer link.

2023 CRESCENDO PHOTO GALLERY

From the cocktail party to the main ballroom event, we captured the excitement and glamour of the evening. Michael Tate hosted all of our fundraising moments of the night, resulting in a final $700,000 in donations to support SFGMC. We hope you enjoy these photos.

STEP AND REPEAT GALLERY

As guests arrived for Crescendo 2023, they were invited to get their photo taken at the SFGMC Step & Repeat. As you can see, this was a thrilling night of fabulously dressed singing members, sponsors, donors, staff, board members, honorees and dignitaries.