The San Francisco Foundation 2011 Community Leadership Awards Celebration

It was our most successful event to date--more than 800 guests came to The San Francisco Foundation's annual Community Leadership Awards on Tuesday, September 27, 2011. At the historic Herbst Theatre, we honored five outstanding Bay Area leaders and eight San Francisco public high school seniors.

The moving celebration opened with awardee and famed Afro-Latin musician John Santos playing with his sextet. During a video profile presentation of his work, the San Francisco native said, "We don't have to bring social justice issues to the art; the art is born of those issues."

With deep gratitude to our generous donors, past and present, who endowed these awards and made this celebration possible, we presented the Community Leadership Awardees - Bishop Yvette A. Flunder, founder and director of Ark of Refuge, Gonzalo Rucobo, executive director of Bay Area Peacekeepers, John Santos, musician and cultural activist, Jordan Simmons, artistic director of the East Bay Center for Performing Arts, and Ravenswood Family Health Center - with $10,000 to $20,000. The Koshland Young Leaders were each awarded $7,000.

The ceremony ended on a high note when Bishop Flunder and local celebrity Linda Tillery sang two rousing spirituals while the audience swayed and sang along. Later in the Green Room, guests noshed on macaroni and cheese and pork sliders while toasting the winners and community spirit.

Relive the night by viewing more photos from the Community Leadership Awards, and watch the videos we produced to honor our 2011 Community Leadership Awardees and Koshland Young Leader Awardees.