Organizations

Shanti hosted its 37th Annual Dinner, Compassion is Universal, on Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at Hotel Nikko in San Francisco. Shanti’s supporters, volunteers and staff came together to show support to an organization that serves over 2,400 clients living with life threatening illnesses, including HIV/AIDS and Breast Cancer. Shanti’s services include care navigation, emotional and practical support, peer advocacy, treatment information, and health enhancement workshops.

Empress Donna Sachet checking out the silent auction

The evening started with a cocktail reception and silent auction featuring various wines, spa and travel packages and a one-of-a-kind Castro tour with San Francisco’s own Empress Donna Sachet.

Guests included Senator Mark Leno, Supervisors Scott Weiner and Jane Kim, former Supervisor Bevan Dufty, Public Defender Jeff Adachi, Assembly member Jerry Hill, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s Chief of Staff Dan Bernal, The Honorable James C. Hormel (event co-chair), San Francisco Foundation’s Board President David Friedman and his wife Paulette Meyer, Empress Donna Sachet, Levi Straus Foundation’s Miguel Bustos, Founder of the Clint Reilly Companies, Clint Reilly, Luxor Cab’s Jonathan Lazar,  Founder and CEO of Joie de Vivre Hospitality Chip Conley, Shanti founder Dr. Charles Garfield and his wife Cindy Spring, Jamison De Trolio and Brenda Zarate.

Guests

Anthony Ruebner, Bill Dowes

Elizabeth George, Mike Archer

The dinner program was led by mistress of ceremony, the stunning Janet Reilly, and featured a performance by Michael P. Nguyen (event co-chair), poignant welcoming remarks by Executive Director Kaushik Roy and a presentation of awards.

The James C. Hormel Client Community Spirit Award was presented by Alec Hughes of Wells Fargo to John Weatherman. Nordstrom’s Leslie Aoyama presented the Shanti Breast Cancer Client Community Spirit Award to Renee Heidtman and The Honorable Mark Leno presented the Charles A. Garfield Volunteer Leadership Award to Lee Hawn who received it on behalf of his late spouse Randy Allgaier who lost his battle to cancer last November.

Guests

Guests

Guests

Weatherman, Heidtman and Hawn’s heartfelt testimonies received standing ovations from a moved audience. Weatherman was diagnosed with HIV in the mid-80’s. He entered Shanti’s L.I.F.E Program in 2005, and then became an enthusiastic and inspiring Shanti volunteer. Heidtman was diagnosed with stage-four breast cancer in 2009 at the age of 29. She then entered Shanti’s Breast Cancer Program and has been matched with a Shanti Peer Support Volunteer since that time. She now teaches a weekly yoga class in partnership with Shanti’s Breast Cancer Program at The Mindful Body yoga studio. The late Allgaier first served Shanti as a volunteer 23 years ago, then in the early 90’s as a member of the Board of Directors and lastly, as Director of the SF HIV Health Services Planning Council.

Guests

Guest, Stu Smith

Guests, Senator Mark Leno

Guest, Supervisor Scott Weiner, Guest

Roy emphasized the importance of services such as those offered by Shanti: “the challenging times in which we operate have proven that our mission is as important today as ever before.”

Board member Alex Rivera: “Shanti provide us with an opportunity to connect with the very core of what it means to be human—to be there for someone in their time need. However, often it is during these times that, as a volunteer, we receive more than what we give-- a sense of purpose.”

Mistress of Ceremony Janet Reilly

Lee Hawn

Kaushik Roy

Renee Heidtman

John Weatherman

For more information please visit Shanti