On the evening of March 8, San Francisco’s majestic City Hall shimmered with elegance and purpose as more than 360 guests gathered for the 26th annual Hope Gala, hosted by Breakthrough T1D’s (formerly JDRF) Northern California Chapter.
The event raised more than $1.4 million to support type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, furthering the organization’s mission to find life-changing breakthroughs and, ultimately, a cure.
Masquerading for a Mission
This year’s gala embraced a festive masquerade theme — complete with colorful masks, costumed performers and a deep sense of community spirit.
Amy Lewis and Tyler Fischer-Colbrie co-chaired the glamorous night, which kicked off with a cocktail soiree featuring dazzling entertainers from Gregangelo’s Velocity Arts & Entertainment, followed by a gourmet dinner and a high-energy live auction.
Breakthroughs and Brave Voices
NBC Bay Area’s Bob Redell served as master of ceremonies, guiding the audience through an inspiring program that honored scientific innovation and personal resilience.
The nonprofit presented its Breakthrough T1D Impact Award to Dr. Bruce Buckingham, professor emeritus-active at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health for his work in transforming the lives of countless children and families living with T1D.
One of the most poignant moments of the evening happened when 17-year-old Brody Paine, a senior at St. Ignatius College Prep and future Brown University student-athlete, shared his personal journey. Diagnosed with T1D at age 13, Brody spoke with heartfelt conviction: “A cure would mean freedom — freedom to live my life, work towards my goals and stop worrying about food or glucose numbers.”
Joy in Motion
Guests then took to the dance floor with energy and optimism, led by premier party band Hip Service.
Top event sponsors included Armada, revlogic, Diablo Clinical Research, Stanford Medicine Children’s Health and Abbott, among others.
Photos by Drew Altizer Photography.
A freelance writer in Marin who writes about family, kids and parenting, Glass is the mother to one son, one dog and a hamster named Miss Geri. When she’s not writing, trekking up steep hills in Marin or driving her kid to sports practice, she and her family spend time in their tiny cabin in Lake Tahoe. She avidly supports the California Academy of Sciences, a world class science museum and research institution, and the Institute on Aging which provides much needed services to Bay Area seniors and disabled adults. Glass is obsessed with baking the perfect loaf of banana bread, something she makes so often she no longer needs to look at a recipe card.
