Author: Alfredo Casuso

80,000 Free Tulips Delight 30-35,000 San Franciscans
on American Tulip Day 

American Flower Bulb Day, presented by Royal Anthos, 
made its magnificent return to the city to honor International Women’s Day 

6 March 2023 – On Saturday, March 4, 2023, 30-35,000 people gathered at Union Square in San Francisco, CA, to pick a free bouquet from the 80,000 tulips donated in honor of International Women’s Day. The event aimed to brighten moods, kick off spring and celebrate inspirational women. Royal Anthos presented this free event with help from the Netherlands Consulate in San Francisco, San Francisco Recreation and Parks, and the Union Square Alliance. 

“Tulips signify the beginning of spring, and everyone was delighted to be together this year, surrounded by the beauty and bright colors,” exclaimed Henk Westerhof, chairman of Royal Anthos, organizers of the event. 

“These tulips exemplify our City’s strong connection with the Netherlands, including our economic ties as well as our shared commitment on climate action, civil rights, and equality,” said Mayor London N. Breed. “It was an honor to welcome Her Majesty Queen Máxima to San Francisco, and I thank the Dutch people for gifting us with the stunning display of tulips in Golden Gate Park. We thrive when we connect with other communities around shared values and working together to make the world a more beautiful and vibrant place.” 

“As a gesture of gratitude and appreciation, a special London N. Breed tulip has been created and planted in the Queen Wilhelmina Garden in Golden Gate Park to thank the City and the Mayor for warmly receiving Queen Máxima of the Netherlands in September 2022. As it is customary in the Netherlands to express gratitude with flowers, 5,000 bulbs of the London N. Breed tulip have been planted as a symbol of the enduring friendship between the Netherlands and San Francisco. The tulip’s vibrant hues were inspired by the colors worn by her Majesty and the Mayor on the memorable day of their meeting,” said Dirk Janssen, Consul-general of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in San Francisco.

Union Square was a vibrant and colorful scene as 80,000 fresh tulips covered the area. Visitors were invited to pick and build a tulip bouquet to gift to a woman who has inspired them. American Tulip Day brought together people of all ages and brought joy to many. The tulips, which thrive in San Francisco’s weather, were a huge hit with visitors. Many were fascinated by the intact bulbs and inquired about care for their fresh bouquets. These tulips will make a lasting impression, as they will last up to two weeks. 

“American Tulip Day brought spectacular beauty and cheer to Union Square on Saturday,” said Marisa Rodriguez, CEO of Union Square Alliance. “The tulips symbolized spring, a metaphorical renewal of the District, and the perfect kick-off to our annual Union Square in Bloom Initiative. The display of 80,000 American-grown tulips, grown from Dutch bulbs, was breathtaking and even more special because they honored International Women’s Day. What a beautiful and special way to thank the extraordinary women who inspire us daily. We hope it will become a new International Women’s Day tradition to gift tulips to the women in our lives.” 

The event first debuted in Union Square in 2018 and returned in 2019. The 2020 event was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. In 2021, in lieu of an in-person event, organizers arranged and shared 25,000 tulips with women working on the “Front Lines” throughout the country and hosted a 2-day virtual tulip event. The highly anticipated event returned in person in 2022, drawing 8,500 people. Anthos was excited to be back in person for a fourth year in San Francisco. 

Press Kit: A press kit containing a wide selection of event images, logos, and videos that can be used as a b-roll can be provided. All images are provided royalty-free when citing Flowerbulbs.com as the source. 

Royal Anthos is a Dutch trade organization that represents the trade companies in flower bulbs and nursery stock products worldwide. For more information, visit www.anthos.org. 

Garden Media Group represents Royal Anthos in the United States. They specialize in the home, garden, horticulture, outdoor living, and lawn and landscape industries. They offer innovative PR campaigns to secure top media placements and partnerships with traditional and social media. For gardening tips, new product announcements, and PR and marketing tips, visit www.gardenmediagroup.com

About The Kingdom of the Netherlands: The Netherlands strives to solve societal and economic challenges with local and international partners. The country ranks sixth on the Global Innovation Index, and Amsterdam is one of the fastest growing ecosystems in Europe. As a trading nation, the Netherlands has continuously ranked as one of the top five foreign investors in the U.S. for multiple years, making the Netherlands the number one country with which the U.S. maintains a trade surplus. 

The Consulate General of the Netherlands in San Francisco, in partnership with Holland in the Valley and the Dutch ecosystem in the San Francisco Bay Area, empowers Dutch entrepreneurs and talent to innovate and scale in the U.S. by offering a network, content and programs. Learn more at United States | Netherlandsandyou.nl. 

San Francisco Recreation and Park Department: The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department currently manages more than 220 parks, playgrounds and open spaces throughout San Francisco, including two outside city limits – Sharp Park in Pacifica and Camp Mather in the High Sierras. The system includes full-complex recreation centers, swimming pools, golf courses, sports fields and numerous small-to-medium-sized clubhouses that offer a variety of sports- and arts-related recreation programs for people of all ages. Included in the Department’s responsibilities are Golden Gate Park, Coit Tower, the Marina Yacht Harbor, the San Francisco Zoo and Lake Merced. In 2017, San Francisco became the first city in the nation where all residents have access to a park within a 10-minute walk, a direct result of the Department’s commitment to increasing and improving parkland in the city. Learn more at sfrecpark.org

For more information or high-res images, please contact: 
Peggy Anne Montgomery at peggyanne@gardenmediagroup.com or Bridget Langan at Bridget@gardenmediagroup.com or 610-444-3040  

Media Contact:
 DP&A, Inc. / David Perry (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com  

MEDIA ADVISORY / REQUEST FOR ONSITE COVERAGE:
SATURDAY, MARCH 4: 1pm ‘til 4:30pm

WHO: Royal Athos, in community partnership with
The Union Square Alliance, the Netherlands Consulate in San Francisco, and San Francisco Recreation and Parks

WHAT: Present American Tulip Day

WHEN: Saturday, March 4: 1pm ‘til 4:30pm

WEB: www.visitunionsquaresf.com
www.flowerbulbday.com

WHAT: Today in Union Square Plaza, it’s American Tulip Day: a colorful display of over 80,000 American-grown tulips, grown from Dutch bulbs, covering Union Square in celebration and honor of International Women’s Day. The public is invited to come and pick a free bouquet of tulips for themselves or as a gift to a woman who has inspired them this past year.

The Mayor of San Francisco, London N. Breed, and the President of Royal Anthos, Henk Westerhof, will open the ceremony at12:00pm. At that time, Westerhof will present a bouquet of tulips to the Mayor named after her. “The Dutch people are grateful for the strong relationship with the City of San Francisco. To thank the city and the Mayor for receiving Dutch Queen Maxima in September 2022, we will name a special tulip after Mayor London Breed and gift Dutch tulips to Bay Area residents,” said Consul-General Dirk Janssen.

“American Tulip Day brings spectacular beauty and cheer to Union Square,” said Marisa Rodriguez, CEO of Union Square Alliance. “The tulips symbolize Spring, a metaphorical renewal of the District, and the perfect kick-off to our annual Union Square in Bloom Initiative. The display of 80,000 American-grown tulips, grown from Dutch bulbs, is breathtaking and even more special because they honor International Women’s Day. What a beautiful and special way to thank the extraordinary women who inspire us daily. We hope it will become a new International Women’s Day Tradition to gift tulips to the women in our lives.”

The Royal Athos presents the tulip garden in community partnership with the Union Square Alliance, Netherlands Consulate in San Francisco, and San Francisco Recreation and Parks. It is open to the public at 1 pm and closes at 4:30 pm. By that time, all 80,000 tulips will be picked, giving many households an incredible feeling of early Spring. As March 8 is International Women’s Day, what better way to celebrate this special day than with fresh, colorful tulips? Access to the garden is free, and so are the tulips! We expect many people, so if you plan to visit the event, we encourage you to use public transport.

“Science confirms that flowers make us happy and promote compassion and kindness for others. Seeing the joy on thousands of people’s faces is so powerful. There is nothing else like the feeling American Tulip Day brings,” exclaims Peggy Anne Montgomery from Garden Media Group. “Tulips are the perfect way to honor women and spread the joy that only fresh flowers can bring. We hope it will become a new tradition to share a bouquet of tulips with the special women in our lives on International Women’s Day.”

About the Union Square Alliance:
The Union Square Alliance serves members and creates a high-quality visitor experience by managing and activating public spaces, attracting new investment, and advocating for the district’s future success. Union Square is the vibrant heart of San Francisco and an international destination where visitors come to enjoy exceptional retail experiences, luxury hotels, world-class cultural institutions, and great public spaces found only in the City by the Bay. A lively 27-block community surrounding Union Square Park in the heart of San Francisco makes up the Union Square Alliance. It is bordered on the north by Bush Street, on the east by Kearny Street, on the south by Market Street and on the west Taylor Street. For more information on the Alliance, go to www.visitunionsquaresf.com 

Media contact: David Perry / (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com 

Channel Q KQPS 103.1 Radio Sold to Brad Fuhr
Palm Springs LGBTQ+ Media Entrepreneur Purchases Former Audacy FM Brand To Join with KGAY Radio

28 February 2023 – Palm Springs, CA:  In a major bit of Coachella Valley media news, local LGBTQ media entrepreneur Brad Fuhr has purchased KQPS 103.1 Radio, known in the market as “Channel Q.”  The acquisition, which follows Fuhr’s purchase of KGAY Radio in August 2021, expands Brad’s local landscape which began 10 years ago with the wildly successful Gay Desert Guide and digital agency OMGPSP.  On Monday, March 6, KGAY and 103.1 FM will begin simulcasting for a brief period, with new programming on the former “Channel Q” commencing Wednesday, March 8.

“Be careful what you wish for,” laughed Fuhr, known to legions of friends, colleagues and fans as a major voice for the LGBTQ+ community and allies in the Coachella Valley. “I’ve wanted for some time to expand and diversify the reach of our current properties to benefit listeners and advertisers. The deal with Audacy is a win, win, win for local media and for consumers.”

Under the KGAY PSP Corp umbrella, the new entity will be organized as a California public benefit corporation or “B” Corp. Such companies put purpose over profit with examples like Ben & Jerry’s and Patagonia.  The new offerings will allow Fuhr to provide multiple programming streams including the well-known and popular KGAYPalmSprings.com and 106.5 FM music channel with the new 103.1 FM.    

A new format will hit the airwaves at 103.1 FM on Wednesday, March 8th.  Fuhr would not reveal the format in advance, but alluded to his love of memorable music from decades past as a hint.  While programming will not be LGBTQ-specific, Fuhr believes that it will strike a chord with all audiences.  

Fuhr came to Palm Springs in 2013 to start GayDesertGuide.LGBT. Recognizing the decline of “gay” print media, he created the website to bring locals and visitors alike content including a wide-reaching events calendar, LGBTQ+ business directory, news and a weekly email newsletter.  He expanded with a digital marketing agency, OMGPSP, in 2015. 

www.GayDesertGuide.LGBT, www.KGAYPalmSprings.com

For interviews, contact Brad at 323-877-2020.

Media Contact:  DP&A, Inc. / David Perry (415) 676-7007 / news@acasusodavidperry-com

MEDIA ADVISORY / COVERAGE REQUEST:

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28: 10:30AM – 12PM (PST)

WHO: The Hotel Council of San Francisco presents a free webinar

WHAT: “San Francisco: The National Leader in Sustainable Tourism”
Opening Remarks by San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed

WHEN: Tuesday, February 28 (10:30am – 12pm PST)

WHERE: Online registration link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EUY4NkUvQim_dGeqz4mfmw

WHY: The Hotel Council of San Francisco (www.hotelcouncilsf.org) presents the next in its series of educational webinars for hospitality professionals on Tuesday, February 28 (10:30am – 12pm. “San Francisco: The National Leader in Sustainable Tourism” with featured industry professionals, travel experts, journalists and hoteliers in a wide-ranging discussion reiterating San Francisco leading status in “Green Tourism”. Sponsored by Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, the webinar is free and open to the public. Additional major support has been provided by REI and The Expedia Group.

“Tourism is the number one economic multiplier of San Francisco and San Francisco is a leader in sustainable tourism,” said Alex Bastian, Hotel Council President and CEO. “San Francisco’s tourism industry is launching a sustainability transformation this year. Hotels in San Francisco will be making efforts to use 100% renewable energy, provide electric vehicle charging options, and produce close to zero waste in 2023. This webinar shows exactly how we plan to achieve that.”

Special guest speakers include Ivar Satero of San Francisco International Airport, Papia Gambelin of United Airlines and Scott Coughlan of Alaska Airlines on the Aviation Panel. The Hospitality Panel features Tyrone Jue of The San Francisco Office of the Environment, Terry Lewis, Hiltons of San Francisco, Michael Pace of the InterContinental Mark Hopkins, and Roger Huldi of The St. Regis.  The final panel, Recreation, is comprised of Rebecca Redwine of REI, Kelly Reehoorn of The Expedia Group and Jackie Ventura of The Golden State Warriors.  The event is free and open to the media, public and Hotel Council members. However advance registration is required at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EUY4NkUvQim_dGeqz4mfmw“Our world-class airport and airline partners will be undertaking significant efforts to set net-zero carbon emission standards and use sustainable aviation fuel alternatives,” says Bastian. “This all goes hand in hand with our natural attractions and outdoor activities, which truly are among the best in the world. For the environmentally conscious traveler, there’s no better place to visit in the country than San Francisco. The question we hope to address during this event is, ‘are we doing enough as a city to attract such visitors?”The Hotel Council of San Francisco is a non-profit membership-based organization advocating for the economic and social vitality of the hospitality industry in San Francisco. Their membership roster includes over 200 hotels, allied members, and partner organizations. The Hotel Council is dedicated to protecting the San Francisco hospitality industry and connecting its members to support the growth and success of the industry.

Media contact:  DP&A, Inc. / David Perry (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com 

WHO: Another Planet Entertainment hosts

WHAT: A Memorial for and Celebration of Life for Bill Longen

WHERE: The Castro Theatre: 429 Castro Street San Francisco

WHEN: Sunday, February 26: 4pm – 5pm

(doors open at 3:30pm)

SPEAKERS/Schedule: Ken Gorczya, David Gleba and members of Bill’s
Family and Support Network

In addition,  longtime Castro Theatre Organist

David Hegarty will play.

About Bill Longen:

 (from the Bay Area Reporter), 24 January 2023)

William “Bill” Longen, a gay man who was an Emmy-winning TV news producer, a former manager of the Castro Theatre, and the co-founder of an early AIDS support group, died January 1, his friends recently announced.

Mr. Longen, 75, died at Coming Home Hospice in San Francisco, his friend veterinarian Dr. Ken Gorczyca wrote in an obituary he prepared.

Mr. Longen had a creative interest in film at an early age and graduated in 1966 from Monsignor Bonner High School in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. He studied film at Temple University and the Eastman Kodak Film School.

He moved to San Francisco with his love, Stanton Schaffer, shortly before the start of the AIDS epidemic. Mr. Longen worked from 1977-1997 as a film editor at Cox Broadcasting (KTVU Channel 2) where he was supervising editor for the 10 O’clock evening news for his last three years at the station. He was an Emmy-winning editor/producer with eight additional Emmy nominations. He also was the winner of multiple gold, silver, and bronze awards from the International Film and Television Festival of New York. When his health declined, he had to take an early retirement from his beloved film career.

Mr. Longen and Schaffer then became founding members of Positives Being Positive, an early HIV/AIDS peer-to-peer support group with Pierre Ludington, for which the first meeting was in February 1998, according to an article in the old San Francisco Sentinel newspaper. Mr. Longen and Schaffer were also early pioneers of RSVP Cruises, where they found solace on the open ocean while befriending the late gay comedian Danny Williams. Schaffer died in 1995 at home surrounded by his friends and cat companions. Mr. Longen became a long-term survivor of over 40 years and remained one of only four of the 25 support group members to survive, Gorczyca wrote. With Mr. Longen’s passing, now there are three. Ludington died in July 1994.

Mr. Longen eventually returned to his love of films and was manager of the Castro Theatre for almost a decade, from 2005-2011, according to his LinkedIn profile, bringing his creativity and knowledge of film to the Castro community. He also was a projectionist, film editor and owner/operator of Ironwood Cinemas. Prior to working at the theater, Mr. Longen lived for awhile in Palm Springs.

David Perry, a gay man who’s in public relations, once interviewed Mr. Longen for his show “10 Percent,” and expressed sadness at his passing.

“He was a ubiquitous and muscular presence when I first moved to town and dedicated to his years at the Castro Theatre,” Perry wrote on Facebook. “A few months ago he reached out, wanting to know how he could support the efforts by Another Planet Entertainment to restore and revitalize the Castro Theatre. More than anyone, he understood the challenges of running a film venue. He was a mensch and a true San Francisco original.”

Perry is a spokesperson for Another Planet, which is in a contentious fight over its proposal to remove the banked orchestra seating so that temporary seating or no seating can be in place for non-movie events.

In the summer of 2019, Mr. Longen moved into one of the senior apartments at the Marcy Adelman and Jeanette Gurevitch Community at 95 Laguna Street that Openhouse, a nonprofit provider of LGBTQ senior services, and Mercy Housing operate. He talked with the Bay Area Reporter in 2020 during the COVID lockdown.

“It’s been OK. You always start to develop a little cabin fever after a few days in the apartment. I deal with it. I always find things to do,” he said at the time about sheltering in place.

Gorczyca noted that Mr. Longen “was a true survivor and thriver — and recreated his life multiple times mirroring the nine lives of his beloved feline companions.” He participated in the 1998 Gay Games in Amsterdam, where he won the gold medal for body building in the men’s master’s competition (age 50-60). He became a workout trainer in San Francisco and Palm Springs.

After the loss of Schaffer, his true loves were his friends and his feline companions Wheezer, Darla, and Petey (two of which are 17), Gorczyca stated.

“I first met Bill and Stanton at the San Francisco Pet Hospital where I worked, and we became quick friends — especially since all three of us were originally from Philadelphia,” Gorczyca wrote in an email message. “Bill’s strong bond to his felines is more anecdotal evidence of the healing power of animal companionship. One of his close friends has now adopted all three cats, honoring Bill’s wishes to keep them together as a family.”

Mr. Longen donated a videotape collection of raw news footage to the GLBT Historical Society in 2006. According to a description of the archive material, Mr. Longen set aside raw tapes of news segments that reported on LGBTQ topics, so that the segments would be preserved and the tapes would not be recorded over. “In doing so, he managed to collect over 20 years of footage documenting LGBTQ life in the Bay Area with the hope of educating LGBT young people about the community’s past,” the description stated.

Items in the William A. Longen Videotape Collection include interviews at LGBTQ marches, festivals, and parades; HIV/AIDS support groups; and the 1996 San Francisco “gay marriage” event when then-mayor Willie Brown deputized himself and presided over the ceremony for about 150 same-sex couples. (The unions had no legal status.) Most of the collection has been digitized, according to the historical society.

Mr. Longen was born on July 20, 1947, in Philadelphia.

He was hospitalized for the final two months of his life, yet his hope to survive was strong. His doctors treated him with hope and dignity. He kept his amazing humor until his last days and expected to survive this final illness once again, Gorczyca wrote.

Mr. Longen is survived by his siblings Regina, Mary, and Joe, and extended family in Philadelphia and on the East Coast. His beloved sister Susie, a Roman Catholic nun, preceded him in death. Mr. Longen will be cremated, and his ashes spread at sea at the same latitude and longitude of his life partner Schaffer off the coast of San Francisco in the Pacific. Donations in his honor can be made to Pets Are Wonderful Support/Shanti or the National AIDS Memorial Grove, both in San Francisco, or any charity of your choice.

A public memorial will be held Sunday, February 26, at 4 p.m. at the Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street.