Community responds to school burglary with $20k+ in donations

Okay, so not all heroes leap from tall buildings in a single bound, nor don leotards or vibrant capes. Most heroes are just average citizens doing good deeds. Small things, that become big things from a single gesture of kindness. Sadly, on the evening of August 5, the neighborhood Castro elementary school, the Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy, was burglarized, ransacked, and vandalized.  Damage estimates are at more than $5,000. Needless to say, the first day of school was unfortunately overshadowed by this awful event.

Thanks goes out to local Castro merchants, organizations, residents, and particularly, Mark McHale, of Herth Real Estate, who launched the partnership fundraising campaign to help offset the lost supplies and damages. Mark is a compassionate community member and stays involved by serving on several community boards including the San Francisco Board of Realtors, the Eureka Valley Neighborhood Association, and the Merchants of Upper Market and Castro. Through Mark’s efforts, Herth Real Estate was able to raise more than $16,000 for the Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy in just a few short weeks. This incredible amount of support spread even further and the school has received more than $20,000 at this point. Way to go Mark for being one of our local Castro community heroes! If you would like to make a donation securely on-line, you can do so directly to the Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy's PayPal site - www.harveymilk.com