In March 2008, The Little Jim Club of California Pacific Medical Center celebrates its 56th annual Mardi Gras Ball, reportedly the oldest black-tie ball in San Francisco. Started in the early 1900s, the Ball was dormant for 17 years during the depression and WWII. In 1953, the Club revived the Ball as a method to generate greater funds for children with disabilities—the long held mission of the Club, the oldest fundraising organization for pediatrics in San Francisco. The Club takes its name from "Little Jim", a severely disabled 8-year-old, who in 1895 inspired a citywide fundraising drive to build a pediatric ward at Children's Hospital. (Children's Hospital became part of CPMC in 1991).

When the Ball first started at the turn of the last century, it was the event of the social season and invitations were highly sought after. The queen of the Ball was the reigning queen of San Francisco society for that year. But in 1920, the Board of Directors of Children's Hospital (comprised mostly of ex-queens and patronesses of the Mardi Gras Ball) conceived the idea that this social event could be of value to the whole community by becoming a fundraising event for the hospital.

Now the process is open to both sexes with the single largest fundraiser being crowned king or queen the night of the Ball. It's a tightly held secret to all but a few members of the Club. The hospital typically puts forth a doctor or two to compete and other candidates are asked from the community at large.

Saturday, March 8, 2008
6:30pm to 12:30am

St. Regis Hotel
125 3rd Street (3rd & Mission)
San Francisco CA

Cocktail Hour and Silent Auction in the Sculpture Gallery
Cocktails: 6:30pm to 8:00pm
Silent Auction: 6:30pm to 10:00pm

Dinner in the Gallery Ballroom and Crowning of the Monarch
8:00pm to 9:30pm

Revelers' Club After Party
Dancing, Dessert and Drinks with the Revelers
in the Sculpture and Gallery Ballroom

Live Music
Alan Choy (pianist at cocktail hour)
Pride & Joy (dinner and Revelers' Club)

Black Tie & Masks

Barry Barsamian

Mardi Gras Ball
Individual tickets are $225
Angel Program from $600 to $2500 and up.

Revelers' Club After Party
Individual tickets are $75 in advance and $95 at the door (if available)

Event sponsorship from $2000 to $10,000

For tickets please mail checks or credit card to:
Harriet Ukai, Reservations
P.O. Box 470775
San Francisco, CA 94147
Email: harrietukai@sbcglobal.net
Phone: (415) 567-2580

Honorary Chairman: Mrs. Carol Engelbrecht

Co-Chairmen: Mary Karen Fippinger and Harriet Ukai

Mardi Gras Ball Committee: Charlotte Rawa, Julie Plunkett, Hope Healy, Barbara Walkowski, Suzy Drell, MK Fippinger, Marlene Smith, Kathryn Surso-Rodriguez, Kelly Donovan-Fleitas, Diane Barry, Regine Familet