San Francisco 49ers owner/chair John York, CEO Jed York, players, coaches, alumni and cheerleaders are to attend the 13th Annual San Francisco “Open Your Heart to the Children” Benefit organised by Hedge Funds Care and the San Francisco 49ers Foundation.

The focus of this annual event is for the Bay Area hedge fund industry to work with a football team to support local child abuse prevention and treatment programmes.
 
This year the event will be held on 23 April 23rd in a new space at the Metreon’s City View.
 
As in years past, the event features a large wine-tasting programme (with participation from more than 15 local wineries) in addition to cocktails, dinner, and raising funds through a silent auction, raffle, donation based activities as well as ticket sales.
 
More than 500 hedge fund managers, investors and investment management service providers are expected to attend.
 
“The San Francisco chapter of Hedge Funds Care has shown a deep commitment to the improving the lives of bay area children by donating time and money to organisations whose mission is to prevent and treat child abuse,” says event co-chair Chris Grandi, president of Abacus Group, a San Francisco and New York based company that provides IT solutions to the hedge fund industry. “The overriding goal of the event is to raise as much money possible to make as many grants and effect change within the community.” 
 
Last year’s event raised over USD750,000 through contributions from more than 450 attendees – enough to award 19 grants given to local organisations earlier this year.
 
“It is always an honour to be affiliated with the ‘Open Your Heart to the Children’ benefit. In alignment with the 49ers Foundation’s mission to keep kids ‘Safe, On Track, and In School,’ this event not only creates the opportunity for a tremendous investment in organisations seeking to eradicate child abuse and neglect in our community but also raises visibility for the prevalence of this issue in our community,” says Joanne Pasternack, executive director of the San Francisco 49ers Foundation.