Supporters gathered in San Francisco to celebrate PRC’s new name, Ascend, at a gala that honoured its long history while raising more than $250,000 for future work. The change arrives during a busy season of LGBTQ+ events, neighbourhood celebrations and cultural gatherings, offering a hopeful snapshot of a community that keeps showing up.
Essential Takeaways
- A new identity: PRC, formerly Positive Resource Center, has officially become Ascend.
- A major fundraiser: The Mighty Real gala raised more than $250,000.
- Community recognition: Louis Dunn received the Sylvester Community Pillar Award, accepted by his partner, Frank Leykamm.
- A packed calendar: San Francisco’s autumn LGBTQ+ scene also included Horizons Foundation’s A Night of Pride and the Castro Street Fair.
- A cultural highlight: A new documentary about Bea Arthur brought fans together at the Balboa Theater.
PRC steps forward as Ascend
The biggest news from San Francisco’s latest round of autumn galas was the arrival of Ascend, the new official name for PRC. The organisation has evolved through several earlier identities, including Positive Resource Center and AIDS Benefits Counselors, while continuing to support people living with HIV and others facing financial or practical hardship.
The announcement came at the Mighty Real gala at Bimbo’s Supper Club, a venue with plenty of old-school sparkle. Guests arrived dressed for the occasion, and the evening balanced remembrance with a clear sense that the organisation is looking ahead. According to the San Francisco Bay Times, the event raised more than $250,000. [2]
That combination matters. A name change can sound administrative, but here it was presented as a statement of direction. Ascend suggests movement, possibility and resilience, while the organisation’s established work remains firmly at its centre.
A gala with history, heart and a hefty result
The evening’s programme recognised the people who have helped carry the work forward. Louis Dunn received the Sylvester Community Pillar Award, with Frank Leykamm accepting it on his behalf, while staff and volunteers were also applauded.
There was a natural warmth to the occasion. Formal speeches and a full dinner eventually gave way to dessert and dancing, creating the sort of transition that turns a fundraiser into a genuine community gathering. The result was impressive, but so was the atmosphere: respectful without becoming solemn, and celebratory without losing sight of why the room had gathered.
Ascend joins a wider San Francisco tradition in which fundraising events act as both financial engines and social landmarks. The city’s LGBTQ+ organisations often rely on this blend of advocacy, friendship and visibility, and the packed autumn calendar showed that appetite remains strong.
San Francisco’s gala season keeps gathering pace
The following evening brought Horizons Foundation’s A Night of Pride to the Westin St. Francis. Long-serving president Roger Doughty was celebrated as he announced his retirement, while incoming president Vincent Jones was introduced to supporters.
It was another reminder that leadership changes can become community moments. Doughty’s tenure was praised for its vision and reach, while Jones’s arrival offered a fresh chapter. The event’s formal setting may have been grand, but the underlying message was straightforward: sustained local work depends on both experienced hands and new energy.
That theme echoes beyond the charitable sector. San Francisco’s cultural calendar continues to mix established institutions with new projects, from community events to food and nightlife. Recent coverage of Poesia in the Castro, for instance, highlights how the neighbourhood’s social life continues to evolve around familiar gathering places. [7]
The Castro Street Fair still knows how to fill the streets
The weekend closed with the Castro Street Fair, the long-running celebration created to support local businesses and build neighbourhood awareness. Under bright sunshine, music and crowds filled Castro Street, while volunteers collected donations for community organisations.
The fair’s most encouraging detail may have come after the official event ended. As visitors drifted away, nearby bars and restaurants filled up, giving local traders another busy evening and adding a little extra life to the area.
There’s something reassuring about that rhythm. A street fair can be colourful and noisy, but it also works as a practical expression of neighbourhood solidarity. People turn up, spend money locally, donate where they can and make the district feel lived-in again.
Bea Arthur brings film fans together
After the bustle of gala season and the street fair, a screening of Bea Arthur: The Documentary, “I’ve Done Everything Except Porn” offered a quieter but no less lively kind of celebration. The film was assembled by Dan Watt, who drew on years of friendship with the actor and included interviews with figures such as Chita Rivera, Rosie O’Donnell, Coco Peru and Bruce Vilanch.
The San Francisco premiere at the Balboa Theater was followed by a question-and-answer session with Frameline’s Kate Bove. For fans who know Arthur as Maude, Dorothy Zbornak or the star of her one-woman show, the documentary promises an intimate look at the person behind those unforgettable performances.
It also fitted neatly into the week’s wider mood. Whether people were raising money, dancing, watching a film or simply meeting friends in a Castro bar, the common thread was connection. San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ community remains at its strongest when culture and care share the same room.
The name may be new, but Ascend’s purpose is rooted in decades of community work.
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