Hi gang. I know we are all reeling right now. Our beloved Northern California is engulfed in flames and smoke and smoldering ashes. We don’t recognize our treasured land and can’t believe what we’re seeing. We’re in total shock. Horror. Everyone is touched directly by this in some or many ways. We’re looking for updates from friends (are they okay, is their dog okay, is their house okay, is their farm okay, is their winery still standing, what do they need, where are they staying?), we’re looking for ways to help, to donate, to feed, to shelter, to comfort.
Social media is a flurry of news and bulletins, and I am filtering and posting what I can. To be honest, it has been close to impossible to focus on my column over the past two days, and it’s hard to care about writing about food news when you’re checking in on people who need help.
I have a short post on some ways to help today, and I know many fundraisers, events, and more opportunites to help are coming—I will keep the post on the tablehopper home page and will update as donation and fundraising events come in. It’s a lot of chaos right now. There are going to be many fundraisers and opportunities to help, in many ways. So many people lost so much. Many lost everything. It’s so hard and heartbreaking to fathom. We’re all going to do the most we can, and then some.
So, in the meantime, I need to continue to see our SF ❤️ MX fundraiser through for Mexico this Friday. I know those earthquakes seem like a lifetime ago, but when I started organizing this fundraiser a few weeks ago, the disasters in Puerto Rico, Vegas, and now in our own backyard hadn’t even started. It’s like the world is falling apart, each incident so utterly horrific in its own way. Everyone needs help.
But people in Mexico are still living outside. Apartments are flattened or simply not safe. People need to be fed. They need access to clean water. Volunteers need assistance. Kids need to go to school. Yeah, Mexico still needs help. Our fundraiser is a 100 percent donation to another 100 percent donation fundraiser.
Tickets to SF ❤️ MX have not been selling as quickly as I’d like to see, and we haven’t had a lot of time to promote. (They are sliding scale and start at just $35.) I have been spending the past two-plus weeks organizing this fundraiser full time, and it’s really hard to imagine the event not selling out after all these incredible donations, all these partners coming together, all this work. We even have the chef and his brother who own Villa Montez and 1836 Texas Kitchen in Tyler, Texas, flying in to cook at the event. I KNOW!
You won’t believe the amazing silent auction items, from a VIP tour at this Sunday’s La Cocina Street Food Fest to a dinner for four at Devil’s Gulch Ranch. Beautiful artwork. Quality booze. Gift certificates. People have been so generous.
Can you please help? Can you come? Whatcha doing after work on Friday? Come have a drink and some ceviche and tostadas. Can you buy a ticket for someone who can’t afford it? Even if you can’t attend, can you spread the word? I’d so appreciate it. Gracias. To recap, there are unlimited cocktails from some of SF’s best bartenders made with top spirits, an awesome array of food from local restaurants and La Cocina businesses, bottles of French rosé, beers, and it’s all in the beautiful Cambria Gallery in SoMa. It’s all in tablehopper today.
It will feel good to have everyone together, I’d love to see you this Friday. We all need to give and get some hugs.
Best wishes to all. So sorry for all the unfathomable loss and pain out there. Give give give. And tell everyone in your life you love them.
Besos, Marcia Gagliardi
Sunset at a friend’s house in Fairfax on Saturday. California, we love you. Photo: © tablehopper.com.View tablehopper Newsletter from Tuesday, Oct 10 2017
