Mayor Edwin M. Lee and the Rainbow World Fund (RWF) are promoting global unity, peace and humanitarianism this holiday season with the lighting of the RFW World Tree of Hope in City Hall.

“We are honored to once again host the RFW World Tree of Hope, a living symbol of San Francisco’s values of love, compassion and acceptance,” said Mayor Lee. “With much of our national rhetoric filled with hate and enmity, it is so important that we take the time to celebrate moments of peace and harmony. With the RFW World Tree of Hope here, we know that City Hall will be a place of unity this holiday season.”

The RWF World Tree of Hope is a gift to San Francisco from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) and allied friends community. The RWF mission is to promote peace, unity and hope by leading the LGBTQ movement to participate in humanitarian relief efforts.

"The Rainbow World Fund World Tree of Hope taps into two of our most powerful resources – the human mind and heart – to give individuals a way to join together to express our hopes and intentions for the future of our global community,” said Jeff Cotter, Executive Director of the Rainbow World Fund. “The Tree celebrates the power of hope — how essential it is to our survival, our healing and humanity.”

Decorated with more than 17,000 origami cranes and stars, the RWF World Tree of Hope is the largest annual origami-decorated tree in the world. Every crane and star contains handwritten notes of peace and love from children and adults across the globe. The wishes were folded into origami cranes by a diverse team of volunteers, including members of San Francisco’s LGBTQ and Japanese-American communities, among them survivors of the Hiroshima atomic bomb.

The cranes were placed on the tree by local volunteers from nonprofits and corporations. More than 300 people took part in the effort, donating 2,500 hours to create the tree, which will be on display at the City Hall Rotunda from December 1 – January 4. Wishes will be added to the tree throughout December. Interested individuals can send a wish by visiting www.worldtreeofhope.org.

The tree lighting ceremony will take place on Monday, December 4, from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. at San Francisco City Hall. The event will feature a message of hope from Armistead Maupin and a concert from the San Francisco Boys Chorus, among other performances.