Restaurateur Ed Moose died this morning at California Pacific Medical Center at the age of 81. With Washington Square Bar & Grill maitre d’ Hal Thunes, Ed Moose started the annual Penny Pitch in North Beach to benefit St. Anthony’s. It has so far run for 33 years.

While Hal Thunes thought the idea up as a social event to strengthen ties with other Washington Square establishments, Ed turned it into a charitable event. He expanded the entry list to include not only bars, but also athletic teams, like the Giants, A’s and Warriors, and invited the civic leaders, sports figures, and other stars who frequented the Washbag to compete and to bid on auction items, all proceeds to go to St. Anthony’s.

The first Penny Pitch, on Washington’s Birthday of 1977, drew huge crowds to watch a lively competition, eventually won by now retired police inspector Chris Sullivan. In the intervening years, the event has moved to Memorial Day and transferred across the street from the WSBG to Ed’s new restaurant, Moose’s, later Joey & Eddy’s, and back again. Over 33 years, it has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for St. Anthony’s to help our poor and homeless neighbors.

Moose, a former sportswriter, was also founder of the Lapin Sauvages softball team. He suffered only one loss in 15 years of playing around the world. Just a few months ago, he put up much of his old Washbag memorabilia on Ebay, again to benefit St. Anthony’s.

We at St. Anthony’s are so grateful for all Ed and Mary Etta Moose have done for our work over three decades.

St. Anthony’s Invites Community to Pinch Pennies While Pitching Pennies: 33rd Annual Penny Pitch at Historic ‘Washbag’ Could Win Participants a ‘Staycation’ in a Fancy Hotel!

SAN FRANCISCO, May 21 San Francisco’s historic Washington Square Bar and Grill will host this year’s 33rd Annual Penny Pitch fundraiser for St. Anthony Foundation, sponsored by The Hotel Council of San Francisco. The event, which has been known to draw local celebrities and North Beach personalities, will take place on Memorial Day, Monday May 25th, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Washington Square Bar and Grill at 1707 Powell Street (near Union Street), San Francisco. The event will feature competing penny pitching teams, an auction featuring San Francisco Giants sports memorabilia, and a raffle featuring many luxurious San Francisco hotel stays (perfect for this years “staycations”), including The Fairmont, The Omni, and the Mark Hopkins.

The Washington Square Bar and Grill was nicknamed the “Washbag” by Chronicle columnist Herb Caen, who also coined the name “Caen’s Canopies” for the Dining Room awnings he helped fundraise for St. Anthony’s. The awnings are still there, protecting hungry San Franciscans from sun and rain as they wait in line for a meal at St. Anthony’s Dining Room. To date, St. Anthony’s has served more than 35 million meals. As unemployment rises and the recession deepens, more people than ever are turning to St. Anthony’s for help in meeting their basic needs.

The Washington Square Bar and Grill has been a favorite gathering place for generations of San Francisco writers, politicians, musicians, and social elite. Today it is owned by partners Liam Tiernan and Susan Lydon (Tiernan’s Irish Pub).

The Hotel Council of San Francisco is a non-profit organization, representing all segments of the lodging industry. Members include San Francisco hotel properties large and small as well as companies who support the local hotel industry.

Since 1950 St. Anthony Foundation has addressed root causes of poverty with compassion. St. Anthony Foundation’s programs offer gateways to escaping poverty by addressing immediate needs such as hunger and clothing, as well as long term needs such as employment, drug and alcohol addiction, and physical and mental health. St. Anthony Foundation does not accept any federal, state, or local government money, and is entirely funded by private donations.

WHAT: St. Anthony’s 33rd Annual Penny Pitch

WHEN: Monday May 25, 2009

1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

WHERE: Washington Square Bar and Grill, 1707 Powell Street, San Francisco

The Annual Penny Pitch & Auction are over. The auction featured deals and steals for fine hotel stays, dinner in fun and fancy restaurants, sports events, and days off at Fisherman’s Wharf and other spots.

Check in next year for raffle and auction prizes going at the Penny Pitch. You need not be present to win. But why not be present?

When I first came to work in Development at St. Anthony Foundation, we were in the middle of planning the Annual Penny Pitch and Auction in North Beach.

It caused me a brief panic. I didn’t know how to run a penny pitch. I’d been in my last job a long time. Were my skills out of date? Was I missing an important qualification? It took me several days to realize that very few people do know how to run a penny pitch. Few people actually know what a penny pitch is.

Special equipment needed: 3 pennies. Clothing: comfortable and roomy — especially the pitching arm sleeve. Players stand about 10 feet from a back board and try to throw pennies at the board without actually hitting it. There are rules about pennies that land standing up and about pennies that land on each other.

How does this raise money for St. Anthony’s? Teams pay fees to register. Players and attendees bid on auction items. Community businesses send greetings in the Penny Pitch program booklet. A lot of good people donate their time.  And all the proceeds go to St. Anthony Foundation.

2009 PENNY PITCH

Memorial Day, Monday, May 25
1:00 – 5:00 (Lunch opens at 11:30.)
Washington Square Bar & Grill
1707 Powell Street @ Union