A San Francisco Tradition - The Little Jim Club's Mardi Gras Ball
March 2nd, 2007

In March 2006, The Little Jim Club of California Pacific Medical Center celebrates its 55th annual Mardi Gras Ball, reportedly the oldest black-tie ball in San Francisco. Started in the early 1900s, the Ball was dormant for 17 years during the depression and WWII. In 1953, the Club revived the Ball as a method to generate greater funds for children with disabilities—the long held mission of the Club, the oldest fundraising organization for pediatrics in San Francisco. The Club takes its name from "Little Jim", a severely disabled 8-year-old, who in 1895 inspired a citywide fundraising drive to build a pediatric ward at Children's Hospital. (Children's Hospital became part of CPMC in 1991).

When the Ball first started at the turn of the last century, it was the event of the social season and invitations were highly sought after. The queen of the Ball was the reigning queen of San Francisco society for that year. But in 1920, the Board of Directors of Children's Hospital (comprised mostly of ex-queens and patronesses of the Mardi Gras Ball) conceived the idea that this social event could be of value to the whole community by becoming a fundraising event for the hospital.

Over the years, the majority of the money raised from the Ball came from the queen candidates, whose supporters paid 10 cents a vote to elect their favorite candidate. The queen was elected at a voting party a week prior to the Ball. The 1953 king was a polio patient who was honored by the Club. Then until 1960, the king was the current president of the Bachelors organization. Later, with the queens still the focus of the Ball; kings were either a gentleman who had greatly contributed to the community or the Chief of Staff at Children's Hospital. The Ball centered around a formal coronation ceremony with much pomp and pageantry. Activities generally began at 9 pm, with post-midnight buffets and dancing till dawn. Elaborate costumes were a big part of the evening with celebrity judges announcing the winners.

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Now the process is open to both sexes with the single largest fundraiser being crowned king or queen the night of the Ball. It's a tightly held secret to all but a few members of the Club. The hospital typically puts forth a doctor or two to compete and other candidates are asked from the community at large. No longer are monarchs elected at 10 cents a vote, but have letter writing campaigns or events to generate funds. One such event, "Babes in Toyland" the brainchild of former candidate Dr.
Michael MacDonald ran for 6 consecutive years and served as a platform for a candidate selected by the doctor.  Wildly popular, on average it attracted 800 attendees.

Although the format of the Ball has changed with the times—now a cocktail hour, followed by dinner, the much-anticipated crowning of the monarch and dancing until midnight—it is no less fun. Half-dressed Brazilian dancers have been known to lead the crowd into dinner energizing everyone, especially the male guests. Attire for guests is ball gowns and black tie with festive masks and Mardi Gras beads.

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Many of those who have held the title of king or queen of the Ball are familiar names in San Francisco society: Dodie Rosekrans, Sandy Walker, Jeanne Taylor, Arnold Laub, Robin Collins, Elisa Stephens, and Merla Zellerbach. And the Ball has even produced a few legacies. Beloved San Francisco doctors John Piel (1966 King) and Carolyn Piel (queen candidate) saw their daughter, Dr. Mary Piel, crowned queen in 2000. CPMC Foundation Board of Trustees member, Maryanna Stockholm (1959 Queen) supported the recent candidacy of her daughter, Sarah Shaw, owner of the Sacramento Street boutique of the same name. There was also a sister/brother legacy with 1981 Queen, Caroline Cartwright and 1984 King, Robert Cartwright, Jr.