Strippers stuff 20k in Santa’s stocking

The donation was handed over at the toy program’s warehouse near Jerrold and Bayshore, instead of at San Francisco’s Fire Station No. 1 at Third and Howard as originally promoted. Even Santa took a break from his craaaaazy schedule to help accept the prodigious donation from dancers representing Centerfolds and the Penthouse Club.

The event was shifted from Fire Station No. 1 after San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White put the kaibash on the ceremony at the station. Chief Hayes-White contacted SFBay this afternoon to clarify her position on the event.

“There’s a process to hold events at a firehouse, and this request never came through my office,” Hayes-White told SFBay.

She said this event came to her attention about a month ago, when citizens contacted her office to complain about what they thought was a fire department web site.

The web site, published by the San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program sponsored by Firefighters Local 798, includes a page promoting the “Secret Santas are Sexy” event, including photos of young women draped over a fire truck and another sitting on Santa Claus’ lap.

Hayes-White said she had “no problem” with a donation ceremony on a public sidewalk near the Third and Howard station, but could not allow the event inside the firehouse or to block the apparatus bays in front one of the country’s busiest firehouses.

She added that she was supportive both of the donation and the toy program, which she had volunteered with for many years, including receiving donations from and having her picture taken with dancers from the Gold Club in her office.

Dancers from 11 strip clubs in The City donated proceeds from charity dances over the past few weeks to the fundraising effort. Unwrapped new toys were also accepted at clubs in exchange for free admission for patrons.

Jesse Garnier

Jesse Garnier is the editor and founder of SFBay. A Mission District native, he also teaches journalism as associate professor at San Francisco State University.