19th Annual TNDC Celebrity Pool Toss October 11, 2011

The 19th Annual TNDC Celebrity Pool Toss -- San Francisco’s wettest and wildest fundraiser -- will be back when Bay Area famed VIPs voluntarily get tossed in the pool in the courtyard of the Phoenix Hotel/Chambers Eat + Drink on Tuesday, October 11th to raise money to help Tenderloin children and families. Each year, the Celebrity Pool Toss raises funds to benefit the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation’s (TNDC) Tenderloin After-School Program and other family programs serving over 3,000 extremely low-income individuals in San Francisco’s Tenderloin and nearby neighborhoods.

Co-hosted by actor/director/producer Cindy Williams and TV host/actor/comedian Suzanne Whang and co-chaired by Laura King Pfaff and Jim Losi and featuring MC Hammer as one of the emcees, the evening promises to make a big splash! Celebrity emcees will introduce the famed tossees while guests bid on the chance to throw their favorite VIPs into the pool in the courtyard of the Phoenix Hotel/Chambers Eat + Drink. Confirmed tossees include, Drew Altizer, principal, Drew Altizer Photography; Alexa Arena, Vice President, Forest City Enterprises; Whitney Arnautou, first degree black-belt instructor of karate and creator of Core-a-Te - a conditioning and self-defense program; Erin and Bryana Cullen, TEAM CULLEN Family Toss (family of the late Brother Kelly Cullen, past TNDC executive director and Celebrity Pool Toss founder); Don Falk, TNDC Executive Director; Jane Kim, San Francisco Supervisor, District 6; John Pritzker, CEO, Geolo Capital; Team Twitter, Twitter, Inc ~ @twitter; and Charles Zukow, CEO, Charles Zukow Associates.

Confirmed emcees include, Chip Conley, founder of the TNDCs Celebrity Pool Toss and Joie de Vivre; MC Hammer; Cheryl Jennings, anchor, KGO-TV/ABC7; Liam Mayclem, host/producer, CBS-TV/5 “Eye On The Bay”; Yigit Pura, Owner & Executive Pastry Chef TOUT SWEET opening early 2012; Tori Ritchie, cooking teacher, cookbook author and blogger at TuesdayRecipe.com; Empress XXX Donna Sachet, TV host/performer/columnist, B.A.R; Jan Wahl, entertainment reporter, KRON & KCBS.

Since the first pool toss in 1992, the annual Celebrity Pool Toss has raised over $3 million for Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation’s Tenderloin After-School Program and other support services. Past participants have included Bay Area pro sports stars, Warren Hellman, Betsey Johnson, Don Johnson, Michael Tilson Thomas, Bob Weir, Robin Williams, Kristi Yamaguchi, Cindy Williams, Cheech Marin, Mayor Willie E. Brown, Gavin Newsom, Jarrod Cooper, Jack Baer, Lou Seal, Liam Mayclem, Craig Newmark, Nick Graham, John Goldman, Cheryl Jennings, Charlotte Shultz, Joe D'Alessanro, Gwyneth J. Borden, Warren Hinckle and many others.

The evening festivities will include entertainment by The Fabulous Bud E. Luv Show, Samba do Coração and DJ Rafa, a high-energy live auction led by an auctioneer from Bonhams, The Laugh Box photo booth, and the extremely toned lifeguards from Gold’s Gym who will be on hand to rescue any celebrities who can’t swim--or who just want to be rescued!

TNDC Celebrity Pool Toss tickets are $125 each; sponsorships start at $500. For more information on TNDC’s Celebrity Pool Toss, visit www.tndc.org, call (415) 358-3944 or contact cpeterson@tndc.org.

Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC)
Founded in 1981, TNDC’s mission is to provide safe, affordable housing with support services for low-income people in the Tenderloin community and be a leader in making the neighborhood a better place to live. TNDC owns and manages 30 buildings that provide homes for over 3,000 extremely low-income seniors, families, people with disabilities, emancipated youth from the foster care system, and formerly homeless individuals recovering from substance abuse or mental illness. In addition, TNDC provides support services to help residents stabilize their lives and develop a sense of community, including a team of 25 on-site social workers, the free TNDC Tenderloin After-School Program for neighborhood children, and a Community Organizing program to encourage residents to get involved in making positive change in the Tenderloin. More information about TNDC and its programs can be found at www.tndc.org.

Official Website: http://www.tndc.org