Media Contact for the Union Square BID: David Perry & Associates, Inc. / David Perry

(415) 693-0583 // cell: (415) 676-7007 // news@davidperry.com

Public Event / Media Advisory

WHAT: Gay Pride Events in-and-around Union Square

WHEN: Sunday, June 25, 2006

10am: Parade starts at foot of Market Street

2pm: Tango Performances in Union Square

DETAIL: On Sunday, June 25 the Annual Gay Pride Parade and Celebration will take place on Market Street. Over 500,000 people are expected to attend the all-day event. The Parade kicks of at 10am and will cause the complete closure of Market Street from the waterfront to Civic Center. Also, at 2pm Tango in the Square will take place featuring sultry dance performances and lessons in milonga, tango and vals (tango waltz), with additional surprises. Union Square will be filled with free Argentinean style street milonga in the plaza and stage area.

“This is the biggest annual event in San Francisco,” said Leigh Ann Baughman, Executive Director of the Union Square BID. “The crowds are always friendly, festive and in good spirits. However, parking will be a challenge. Local business owners and parade attendees are strongly encouraged to take public transit. Also -- as with any large civic event -- people are reminded to keep a close look out for their personal belongings and children.”

To deal with youngsters who might get separated from their parents during the event, the Union Square BID will have in force its special “Code Adam” Program to help reunite families that might get pull apart in the large crowds.

“Our mission is to keep the Union Square area clean and safe,” explained Baughman. “We want to make sure that visitors to the area keep especially tight watch over their personal belongings, purchases, and their young children who might become separated in large crowds. Our 'Code Adam' program -- which operates all year long -- is an intense, immediate and highly successful program to match lost children with their parents. If a BID Ambassador spots a child that is alone, the child is approached to get a description of their guardian or parent. While police and other Ambassadors are alerted about the situation, the Ambassador stays with the child until their guardians are located. It also works in reverse as sometimes Ambassadors are approached by parents who have become separated from their little ones.”

The Union Square Business Improvement District (BID) is a 10-block area where property owners assess themselves to make their community cleaner, safer and more vibrant. The BID assessment is used to purchase services that supplement those provided by the City. The Union Square BID contains 97 properties and is roughly bounded by Sutter Street to the North, Stockton and Grant Streets to the East, Market Street to the South and Cyril Magnin to the West. In 1994, California joined most states in the country and passed enabling legislation for property based business improvement districts (PBIDS). There are currently over 1,000 BIDS in the United States and Canada. Also part of the Union Square BID’s success are the “TAGGers.” “TAGGers” (an acronym for Take Away Graffiti and Grime ) are the primary caretakers for Union Square and the whole BID district. Seven days a week, throughout the day, they sweep the sidewalks, pick-up and dispose of trash and debris, and remove graffiti from storefronts, buildings, area light poles and street furniture. Sidewalks are steam cleaned twice a month. BID “Ambassadors” are a visible presence for safety and maintenance in the BID’s ten-square-block borders. Easily identifiable by their red and blue uniforms, the Ambassadors provide visitors and tourists with a variety of services including directions, transportation information, emergency response, and even help elderly shoppers with their bags as they cross San Francisco’s busy streets.

For more information on the Union Square Business Improvement District, access their website at www.unionsquarebid.com, or call (415) 421-3135.