Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media contact: Jeff Cotter (415) 608-5333 jcotter@rainbowfund.org

Rainbow World Fund Celebrates 19th Annual World Tree of Hope Lighting

On December 9th at 6:30 PM, Rainbow World Fund will gather to once again light the World Tree of Hope. This one-of-a-kind tree is a gift to the world from the LGBTQ Community promoting peace, love, and humanitarian action. Speakers and performers include Juanita MORE!, Cleve Jones, the San Francisco Boys Chorus, the Queer Chorus of San Francisco, The Very Rev. Malcolm Young, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Leberta Lorál, Tammy Lynn Hall, Empress Linda Summers, and more. The lighting will take place at Grace Cathedral (1100 California St, San Francisco, CA). The event is open to all and free to attend.

“We created the World Tree of Hope to encourage people to think about what they would like for the future of the world, and then take action,” said Jeff Cotter, Rainbow World Fund founder and executive director. “The tree illustrates that while a single person’s offering is valuable, the collective effort of many possesses great power and strength. If each person would do just one small thing that is good for our world today, we will be better off tomorrow than we were yesterday.”

Inspired by the story of Sadako Sasaki, the Japanese child whose journey and death several years after the bomb was dropped in Hiroshima transformed the origami crane into a symbol of world peace, the RWF World Tree of Hope is the largest origami-decorated holiday tree in the world. It is traditionally decorated with over 17,000 origami cranes and stars. Each crane or star is hand-folded and inscribed with wishes for the future of the world. It is the largest such annual installation on the planet.

Notable wishes on the Tree come from President Barack Obama, Dame Jane Goodall, Arianna Huffington, Isabel Allende, the late SF Mayor Edwin M. Lee, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Mariela Castro, Mātā Amṛtānandamayī Devī, Frances Moore Lappe, Courtney Cox, Jane Elliot, Stanlee Gatti, Courtney Cox, RuPaul, and many more. https://www.worldtreeofhope.org/celebrity-wishes 

The RWF World Tree of Hope is a gift to the San Francisco Bay Area and the world from the LGBTQ community. The tree is on display in the AIDS Memorial Chapel of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco from December 1, 2024, to January 5, 2025. This will be the eighth year that Grace Cathedral has hosted the Tree. In addition to being a beautiful venue that is open to the public, Grace Cathedral has a tradition of welcoming people of all faiths and spiritualities and being a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community.

When: Monday, December 9th, 6:30-8:00 PM at Grace Cathedral (1100 California St, SF)
Admission: Open to all and free to attend
World Tree of Hope Website: www.worldtreeofhope.org 

About Rainbow World Fund: 

RWF’s mission is to promote peace, unity, and hope by leading the LGBTQ+ movement in participating in local and humanitarian relief efforts. Founded in 2000, RWF is the world's first LGBTQ+-based humanitarian aid organization. RWF works to help people affected by natural disasters, hunger, poverty, disease, oppression, and war by raising awareness and funds from the LGBTQ+ community to support relief efforts around the world. 

RWF provides a united voice, a large visible presence both in the United States and abroad, and a proven structure to deliver LGBTQ+ charitable assistance to the larger world community. RWF has donated over $6.5 million in grants and life-saving aid and provided over 95,000 volunteer hours helping both LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ in need around the world. 

RWF’s philosophy is that we are all “One Human Family” and that we are living in a time that tells us that our survival on this planet depends on us all giving more to each other. RWF is 100% volunteer-run

Learn more at www.rainbowfund.org 

Wishes submitted online at www.worldtreeofhope.org will be added to the tree throughout December. Submitting a wish is free.