SFGMC Raises Over $55,000 At CRESCENDO: VOICES RISING Benefit

With the help of celebrated guest artists, San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus (SFGCM) raised over $55,000 at its first-ever virtual benefit, Crescendo: Voices Rising, surpassing the original goal of $50,000, with money still coming in.

The benefit honored Emmy, Tony, and Grammy Award-winning actor, singer, director, composer, and playwright Billy Porter with the Trailblazer Award and activist and philanthropist Ariadne Getty with the Vanguard Award. Proceeds from the benefit, which took place on Monday, August 17, will sustain SFGMC and support its youth outreach programming.

More than 700 guests tuned in online to the benefit, which began with a rousing performance of "Singing for Our Lives" by powerhouse singer Inaya Day and featuring the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus. Throughout the evening, guests were treated to additional special performances, including an acoustic rendition of "American Pie," performed by singer, songwriter, and transgender rights activist Shea Diamond, a rendition of Barbra Streisand's "Being Good Isn't Good Enough," performed by actor and singer Alex Newell, Jason Clayborn and Gabriel Hatcher's "Better" performed by the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir and San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus, and a powerful rendition of Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth," performed by Billy Porter and accompanied by original songwriter Stephen Sills. Special remarks were provided by San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed, Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth, actor and activist Wilson Cruz, and singer/songwriter Tyler Glenn.

For those who missed it, SFGMC will host the benefit in its entirety on the SFGMC YouTube page for 48 hours. Donations are still being accepted via SFGMC's YouTube page or www.sfgmc.org/donate.

Crescendo: Voices Rising was presented by San Francisco Toyota. Additional partners include AT&T, Zendesk, United Airlines, and Chansell Capital Properties, Inc., Joe Czuberki, Mikkel Svane, The Ariadne Getty Foundation, and Rebecca + Cal Henderson.