Raphael House Gala at the Four Seasons: One Home, Many Hearts

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Mandy Heier, Eva Holman, Lauren Eastman and Kate Smith. Credit: Drew Altizer Photography

The Raphael House’s annual One Home, Many Hearts Gala was a magical evening at the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco.

The black tie evening themed, “Through the Eyes of a Child” commemorated the Raphael House’s commitment to youth and community. Over 300 guests were in attendance, raising $400,000 – the highest amount since 2007.  Proceeds from the event assisted children and families to transition to a more prosperous lifestyle.

At the event, guests enjoyed a silent auction with highly coveted prizes including sports paraphernalia autographed by football legend Joe Montana and Willie Brown, exotic travel and night out packages, rare vintage bottles of wine, and Tiffany & Co. gift boxes.

There was a heartfelt and inspirational speech given by former resident Amanda King that provided guests with the urgency of the Raphael House’s mission. It became even clearer in the midst of the occasion how important support is and the remarkable effects that it has on its benefactors.

Chairwoman of the Board of Directors Kate Smith spoke and expressed her gratitude to all the sponsors (their Angel Sponsor being Pacific Gas and Electric Company) and patrons that made the event such a success. Joining Smith was gala co-chairs Judy Davies of Advantest, Lauren Eastman of Issima! Public Relations and Amy Lebastchi of Gap Inc.

Flavia HenriqueFollowing the immaculate dinner, prepared by Four Season’s Executive Chef Mark Richardson and his culinary team, the festivities continued with an exhilarating live auction that was led by Bay Area’s KPIX’s Liam Mayclem, which brought the energy of the room to a high point. Immediately after dessert was served, guests hit the dance floor and got their groove on to tunes spun by renowned Bay Area DJ, Jake McLelan of Event Jump.

Celebrating 42 years of transitioning over 19,000 children and their parents from a life of suffering and homelessness, the Raphael House assists those in need to achieve confidence and becoming self-sufficient.  Impressively, the organization has an 86% success rate! This sort of positive life change in turn promotes a more harmonious community of working towards goals and maintaining a stable lifestyle.

[Reported by Darren Anderson]

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