One of the perks of being the general manager of Rec and Park is getting to be a guest judge each year at our annual Turkey Cook-Off event, which was held this past Friday at Minnie & Lovie Ward Rec Center in the Ocean View/Ingleside neighborhood.
This is perennially a huge event, and this year was no exception. Facility coordinator Jackie Battle, who’s been organizing and hosting this event for the past 11 years, pulled out all the stops this year and put on an event that I think illustrates exactly what our Department is all about--- community.
More than 250 people, including District 11 Supervisor John Avalos, braved the cold and rain to come out and enjoy holiday fare cooked by staff and teens from ten different recreation centers from all over the city, including Mission, Chinese and Joseph Lee rec centers.
The event has become a point of p
ride for many of our rec centers, which compete against each other for top awards in three categories: Best Turkey, Side Dish and Dessert. From where I stand, many of our staff could have had careers as chefs, as the food was generally very delicious and whetted my appetite for the coming Thanksgiving week.
ride for many of our rec centers, which compete against each other for top awards in three categories: Best Turkey, Side Dish and Dessert. From where I stand, many of our staff could have had careers as chefs, as the food was generally very delicious and whetted my appetite for the coming Thanksgiving week.Friday’s event was one of those events that truly make me proud to work for Rec and Park. The community had a great time, our staff represented our department and themselves well and everyone went home happy (and full).
Garden Railway ExhibitThe Conservatory of Flowers’ annual Garden Railway exhibit kicked off last week, celebrating Golden Gate Park’s 140th anniversary.
The exhibit is one of our most popular amongst both the young and young-at-heart. Model trains run through a unique tour of the park’s landmarks, including the Dutch Windmill and Music Concourse. This special one-time-only anniversary edition of the Garden Railway lovingly recreates the gardens, lakes and architectural wonders that have made the Park one of the most visited and cherished urban oases in the country since the 1870s.
All of the landmarks are made of recycled materials, and part of the charm of the exhibit is discovering what each piece was made of.
The exhibit runs through March 13. I invite all you to take your families and loved ones and check it out.
“Bach and Forth” This Saturday
Pianist Stephen Prutsman will perform a benefit concert this Saturday, November 27, at Herbst Theatre, benefiting Rec and Park’s Azure Program for Children on the Autism Spectrum.
Prutsman has put together an eclectic and brilliant mix of classical, contemporary and world music. A renowned artist, he’ll perform this same concert a week later at the Lincoln Center in New York City.
In the first half of the program, the journey uses J.S. Bach's Preludes and Fugues as unique vantage points presenting relationships between Bach and the music of other European composers from Rameau to Schoenberg. The second half ventures even further out traveling back and forth between Bach and the music of our world past and present: Jazz, Indian ragas, folk songs of central Asia, American gospel, Latin American vallenatos, African Hymns... all music sharing much in common with the greatest Western music composer of all time.
Proceeds from the concert will benefit he Department’s Azure Program, which provides activities for children on the autism spectrum. Next summer, Camp Azure will make it's home in picturesque Glen Canyon, as a satellite of our popular Silver Tree day camp. For four weeks starting in mid-July, Camp Azure will be a "camp within a camp" at Silver Tree.
I’m looking forward to the event on Saturday and hope you’ll make time for this singular experience.
Last Monday, November 15, I joined a group of SF State University students and members of the Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program (BORP) for a little basketball at Minnie & Lovie Ward Rec Center. BORP provides and promotes recreational opportunities for children and adults with physical disabilities, so basketball on Monday involved all of us using wheelchairs. Chuck Gill, a member of BORP and the Golden State Road Warriors, treated us to a display of his talents. Chuck is the equivalentto the NBA's Kobe Bryant when it comes to wheelchair basketball. He single-handedly beat us in a 10-on-1 game at the end of the night.
We're looking at partnering with the Road Warriors to do a tournament in the city in the near future, and possibly using wheelchair basketball as a team building activity for staff.
The college students from State were all students in the university's Recreation, Parks and Tourism class, taught by Rec and Park's very own Lucas Tobin. The event was a perfect illustration of the breadth of recreational options available to people of all abilities.
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