And jobs it is a oasis through the joy, misery, growth, invasion. Within the parks majestic canopy are stories. Stories about class, about race, about nationality and religion. Stories about conflict and peace. Stories about gentrification and equity. Stories about constancy and change. Stories about stewardship and stories about destruction. Stories about technology and nature, about celebration and suffering, about all arts, music and food. About love gartherings and solitary strolls. Stories about communities neighborhoods and families. Stories about all of us. On a personal note, this park is my post important place. No other place knows me better. This park watched me fall in love, raise my two daughters, make friends, build my career. Golden gate park helped me work through struggles and challenges and helped me find joy, health and inspiration. The Trail Network and tree canopy offered me privacy and shelter to find myself. During my time as our parks director i had the hum bllg opportunity to influence the park landscape, form and rhythm through both preservation and through change. Through the ghost of william hamenhall and john malaren watching closely. Over the last 15 years we restored the fountains and band shell and music concourse. Rebuild the mercy windgil and mark station. Renovated the soccer fields and club house. Ceezer stadium, cezer triangle. We addedbehind me, the first piece of permanent art added to the park in generations in conserve tore valley. We added a restroom at the 45th avenue playground. Renovating the bloleing greens. Improve all the park entrances and signs. We now call speedway meadow hellman hollow and middle drive east, nancy pelosi drive and sharon meadow Robin William meadow. We added a musical evening light show to the conservancy of flowers, piano to botanical barden. Tea house. Outside land Music Festival to polo fields and a portion of this beautiful space that used to be call jfk is now a car free prom naund for hundreds of thousands walk, run, roll, ride, sunbathe and enjoy art music and food. While visitors once traversed the park on horse and buggy, and now travel on scooters, segues, bicycles. The park became a safe refuge during the covid pandemic. We celebrated a bunch of anversity. The redwood grove, spreckels lake. Holiday tree lighting. The 50th anniversary of summer of live and in 2020 celebrated in the rain the parks own 150th anniversary. We got a little shorted because of the pandemic, so 154 is the new 150, which is why we are making such a to do out of today. [applause] Golden Gate Park is resilient and bigger then any one event, policy, decision or person. But that doesnt mean our kunt stewardship of the space isnt critical. Ernest hemmingway, today is one day in all the days that will ever be but what will happen in all the other days that come can depend on what you do today. Perhaps only this park itself knows what the future holds. It is the keeper of all of this city stories and secrets. No doubt it will always be the guardian of San Franciscos treasureed public memory, so happy birthday Golden Gate Park. You will always be San Franciscos very important place. [applause] not bad for 154 year old. Im not that old. Alright. So, we all love the space. And if is really really nice to be here. Im going to introduce a bunch of special guests that are here. We have a lot of honored guests here. We have lets give up for the amazing rec and park staff for generations and generations. [applause] but, i now have the great pleasure of introducing our citys official park champion in chief here to celebrate the parks beautiful birthday, our mayor, london breed. [applause] i mean, who doesnt love a Birthday Party . it is so great to be here to celebrate 154 i guess 150 years of Golden Gate Park and what it is meant to the people of San Francisco. How many of you were alive in 1870 . Nobody . Nobody . Okay. Well, the thing about this park and the establishment, it made it possible for people all over San Francisco to enjoy. It has so many stories phil talked about and it has a great story i want to tell about the childrens park, which was the first public playground for children in the city and county of San Francisco, and how many of you have spent time going up and down that slide with a piece of cardboard . Memories all over the place. And this place has so many more stories. The conserve tory of flowers behind me was the first building erected in Golden Gate Park in 1879 and as time went on this place hosted over 2 Million People for the world fair in 1894. When i think about the summer of love, because you think Golden Gate Park and summer of love, this place has been a beacon of hope excitement love and laughter and we continue the tradition with so many amazing public performances with music, including outside lands and comedy day and other events that really bring joy and lift our spirits. And we have the academy of sciences. We have the d young museum. We have so many otherwe have the lisa and doug Goldman Tennis Center and we have so many options for people to play and have fun and to enjoy. During the pandemic, i just to back up a bit, growing up as a kid in this city, we would catch the bus and walk to Golden Gate Park and put on our roller skates and we roller skate and we would hope that somebody had a boom box because you know how it was with the batteries that wouldnt last very long, so people have their boom boxes, roller skating, dancing and Everything Else and david miles has taken it to a whole another level down the street with an amazing place for people to skate and have fun. When i think about Golden Gate Park, i think about so many things. This can be whatever you want it to be on any given day depending on your mood. But what it did for the people of San Francisco during a Global Pandemic was extraordinary. In fact, a spent a lot of times during the pandemic with my hoodie on walking to Golden Gate Park, walking through and around and honesty getting lost sometimes in Golden Gate Park and this was a place where i saw people and i saw people outside safely social distancing with their mask on, but never the less, getting fresh air and coming together and bringing their kids and family members out here in wheelchairs and baby strolers and bikes and you name it, they were all out here enjoying this beautiful park. How fortunate are we that this park is now being considered to be one of the best parks in the entire United States by usa today . [applause] and it isnt too late to vote so go online to usatoday to make it official. And by the way, we are 200 acre bigger in Golden Gate Park then now york so they can continue to eat their heart out. [laughter] there are so many things we can say about the beauty and the transformation and i know everybody here probably has a personal story, maybe it was your first kiss, like phil talked about falling in love with his wife emily. Maybe it was when you met someone and became friends over your dogs sharing a bond or your kids, who knows, but that is what makes this park so special, because of those stories and are those experiences and i guarantee that all most every single story that you will hear about this park is one of joy. Is one of happiness. Is also one of pride for this park and for the city of San Francisco, so as we celebrate today, i want to take this opportunity to of course recognize its history and its value to the people of San Francisco and the visitors from throughout the bay area and the world and i want to take this opportunity to really thank those people who are really in the background, doing all the work. Youll see a tree, maybe have fallen one day and the next day it is not there. There are people who take a lot of pride in protecting, supporting and keeping Golden Gate Park looking like one of the most incredible beautiful parks anywhere in the world and that is so many of our publicour rec and park workers, our gardeners, all of you, please raise your hand if you are one of the people responsible for this beautiful oasis. [applause] thank you for all you do for not just go Golden Gate Park, but 220 parks around the entire city. It is so great to be here with each and every one of you and to just celebrate this incredible milestone and of course, where there is cake it is always a party. So, thank you and at this timeam i introducing somebody phil . Last but not least and as i said, as someone who grew up in San Francisco, our parks overall have always looked good, but not this good. They have gotten so much better and ill tell you, it is a is couple reasons. Number one, it is the park bonds the voters continue to vote on to support parks, which provide the resources for the investments made. Number two, it is the Park Alliance and folks like ben davis who raise private dollars in order to invest in the parks, and number three, it is the people who do the work. I cant get my hair wet. Number three, it is the people who do the work. Thank you. Thank you kat. Rec and park, okay. [laughter] thats my bay sox jacket. These are hard to get. Number three, again it is the people who do the work every single day and take pride in that work. I want to express my appreciation to each and every one of you for making today special and even the rain cant stop us from enjoying a good old fashion Birthday Party celebrating Golden Gate Park. Happy 154th birthday thank you. [applause] one thing better then cake and hat is rained on cake. We were here 2020 for the 150 and it was also raining and i just are want to make a moment to reflect on the four years since. Who knew in february 2020 what we were headed to. This mayor steered us through one of the hardest times in the city history and did it with toughness and resilience, but importance with hope and grace and now we get to just celebrate joy here today so lets give it up for our mayor. [applause] the real reason we are hp celebrating Golden Gate Park birthday, but this is get out of the vote ralee. We are in the middle of election, and i can legally from this microphone plug the election and tell you to vote not just once or twice but every day between now and april 8. Golden gate park is up for the title of the nations best city park in usa today Reader Choice poll. Anyone can vote, once per day. I do it every day, until polls close monday april 8 at 9 a. M. California time. The top 10 winning parks will be announced wednesday april 17. Ill let you in a secret, we are currently number one but we dont want to let up, so whats everybody going to do today . What are you going to tomorrow . Vote what are you doing the day after . Vote there we go. Alright. Our next speaker, scott beck is the head of sf travel and scott comes to San Francisco with so much joy and so much excitement, and he and i had the chance to chat and totally understands how important this park is to getting people to come to San Francisco, spend money in San Francisco and enjoy San Francisco. We do not have a bigger champion then sf travel, stow so it is my great pleasure to welcome you to the microphone sir to say a few words. [applause] wow. Thank you for the warm welcome. As a new san franciscans i feel this is special opportunity. My association with the park began as a visitor. I used to chase my wife through the park on a bike when she ran several marathons. My daughters would visit the institutions. It was always on theim excited to have it be part what i call home now. The park is also living example of San Francisco creativity, ingenuity and ongoing evolution as phil noted. It took imagination, invasion to transform sands into greenery, to turn the land into oasis for all to enjoy. And as the mayor noted, it takes dedication and ongoing work to keep the park shining and more accessible then 154 years ago. What other city contains a [indiscernible] arts and cultural institutions, wind mills, lakes gardens music concourse and so much more . This remains a must see for visitors who come to enjoy the beauty and magic of course alongside all of us san franciscans. As phil noted we are rooting for the outcome of usa today best park. I will ask you to vote. Whatever the outcome though, this park is the best city park and magnet for the visitors that we bring to this Community Every day. Attractions and places like Golden Gate Park make San Francisco a incredible destination and draw millions visitors each year to this community. And we at San Francisco travel will continue to share the park heritage and stories for years to come. We look forward celebrating many more Golden Gate Park milestones and birthdays. Congratulations and happy birthday. [applause] alright. We are getting down to the big happy birthday. Very special acknowledgments. Speaking of birthday, Scott Sampson and lee can you stand up for a second . It isnt just Golden Gate Park birthday today it is academy science. It is true it celebrating the 171 . It is older then this park and been in this park for 99 years i believe, is that correct . Scott and lee, thank you for this park is great, because of your institution and we like to thank your institution is great because of this park. Happy birthday academy. [applause] and also want to recognize our amazing rec and park commission, our president kat anderson is here. Our Vice President joe. Commissioner louie is here. We are also joined by a handful of really wonderful partners that make it work, rodney fong, head of chamber of commerce is here. Stephanie linder, the head of the garden at Golden Gate Park, we are in your front yard stephanie, thank you very much. You heard them back here hooting and hallering when the mayor talked about roller skating, david. Skate and place. And then from illuminate who works tirelessly to light this place up and create joy and placemaking, my friend ben davis. And i know im forgetting somebody and im losing my notes, but i most importantlyoh our friend from another planet. There is special bit of news. We have outside land coming first week of august. Already eager beaver tickets are sold out . That is because the show is hot hot hot. And thank you very much for assigning two very important members of your organization to join us for our birthday today. Give it up for ranger dave and ranger roof. [applause] and as the mayor alluded, the most important round of thanks are for the hardworking men and women who take care of the part for 150 years with sweat, love and skill, this park is amazing because of them, to the rec and park staff. [applause] alright. So, now is the time for happy birthday and to grace us with a ocpelo version of happy birthday, from very own young people teen musical theater company, jet. Jet where are you . Are you ready for this . Alright. Let her rip. Just going to adjust the microphone really quick. Alright. Happy 154th anniversary. Im going to be singing happy birthday for Golden Gate Park now. [singing] happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday to you. [applause] wow alright. Thank you jet so much. Here to the next 154 years of joy. Happy birthday Golden Gate Park, lets eat some cake. Welcome to hamilton recreation and aquatics center. It is the only facility that has an integrated Swimming Pool and Recreation Center combined. We have to pools, the citys water slide, for little kids and those of you that are more daring and want to try the rockslide, we have a drop slide. Exercises for everybody. Hi have a great time. The ladies and guys that come, it is for the community and we really make it fun. People think it is only for those that play basketball or swim. I have been coming to the pool for a long time now. It is nice, they are sweet. In the aquatics center, they are very committed to combining for people in San Francisco. And also ensuring that they have public safety. There are a lot of different personalities that come through here and it makes it very exciting all the time. They, their family or teach their kids have a swim. Of the gem is fantastic, there is an Incredible Program going on there, both of my girls have learned to swim there. It is a fantastic place, check it out. It is an incredible indication of what bonn dollars can do with our hearts and facilities. It is as good as anything you will find out why mca. Parents come from all over. There are not too many pools that are still around, and this is onestop shopping for kids. You can bring your kid here and have a cool summer. If you want to see some of the youth and young men throughout San Francisco play some great pickup games, come wednesday night for m