The donation check to the San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program caused some controversy, but not necessarily because of where the money came from.
"It's called BSC Management and they manage the Gold Club, Hustler Club, Little Darlings, several of the adult clubs in the city," San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program spokesperson Sally Casazza said.
"We donated our dances, we took a lot of our time, it was like 15 songs and then we just donated the money that they gave us to the charity," an entertainer named Alissa said.
The trouble came when it was time to present the check. It was supposed to happen at Fire Station 1 on Howard Street near Third Street, but Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said no.
"We were asked to find another location and we thought it would be a good fit to have it over here where the toys are at and where the families actually come to get the toys," Casazza said.
Hayes-White said the proper paperwork hadn't been filed, but even if it had been, she probably would have still said no. She said she didn't want anything to impede the operation of the fire station and she said having "entertainers" inside the station didn't live up to the wholesome work environment she's trying to maintain.
"We certainly respect the chief's decision," publicist Kevin Sanchez said. "We're disappointed, we would have preferred to make the donation there as scheduled, but we certainly understand her decision."
Sanchez said the clubs have been donating to the toy program for 17 years and despite the slight presentation problem Wednesday, they are fully committed to the cause and look forward to supporting it next year.
