over 25 businesses and nonprofit organizations build the music concourse with free refreshments, games, and bluegrass. access to a venture is part of sf rec and park's year-round activities in partnership with activities in partnership with families. but the anniversary of the great earthquake was remembered. >> i would like to ask for a minute of silence. >> let's have a moment of silence. >> they meet for the annual reflating ceremony.

he was joined by winnie for an afternoon celebration. we are here to commemorate all that it signifies. at each anniversary the leaders meet to prepare for the next great quake.

bob welcome everybody to the anniversary. i got to say, the mayor gets it done. gooa round of applause for our e chief's wife.

you look terrific. do we have sydney close five? -- close by. we will pass the microphone to the mayor for a couple of quick words. we have a fire chief and the police chief. >> good morning, everyone. 106 years since our earthquake.

we do have a grandson? she was with us in 2009. goopublic works is here. this reminds us of the 3000 people but passed away in 1906

from the devastating earthquake, but the rebirth of our city is with us. i have been in all of these other positions where we are always prepared. and we are already engaged in recovery efforts. we were there with a whole staff. we have six we assure you that when the next big event happens, that water system will be there for us to deliver water with that 24 hours. a huge change from depending on this fountain.

we are handing it off to generations of youth in the city to understand -- make sure they're prepared. go to our website, it tells you all the things there. iti is about having those items prepared.w we will survive. that is how we get ready and celebrate and honor the people who left us and make sure our city is ready. thank you for being here. congratulations to our survivors. >> very nice job. behind me is a good friend and a great firechief. you go back 106 years.

braxton morning. -- good morning. one of the survivors could not be with us. those are amazing changes. it does give us the opportunity to remember what happened. we commemorate those who suffered losses in their lives and hardships. we also celebrate the city that was nearly swept from the map. the fires raged for three days and caused rates -- great devastation. we take the opportunity to educate everyone. it is a pleasure for me to work under the direction of mayor lee. he is a public safety championship. he is a prepared as champion. he lives it. i have seen his kids and his

workplace. it is all about teamwork. i am proud to be working with chief suhr. and scott weiner, it is a pleasure to have you out here. we appreciate it. it is a great team. thank you to the people who are out here. and also our partners with the american red cross. who are here this morning. thank you for being here. it has been a tradition for many of us out here. i hope you have a great day and you remember what happened 106 years ago. it is great to be a san franciscan. >> a nice hand for the chief, everybody. i have seen this other chief speaking in the last couple of

times. a nice hand for chief suhr. >> good morning. our fire chief said it. we're lucky in san francisco. we have a mayor who has moved through the tears of prepared as an goddess ready to go. we get a little more prepared every day. god bless to the survivors. >> thank you. >> it is a minute of silence at 5-11. -- 51:11 p.m. let's have a moment of silence for a minute right now.

[siren]

>> i think the fitting way to end this germany first of all, -- this ceremony first of all. there will be playing. everybody have their words right here? i will give the countdown. as we hang the reece, i will

give you a count here. have a look at me. 1, 2, 3, 4, 1. ♪ [singing] ♪ ♪

>> a great day, everybody. thank you. the san francisco chornicle. and the history association. and the neighborhood emergency response team. the american red cross. and thanks for making this happen. i want to invite everyone to go to 20th in church or -- and church. and we will meet up. we may skirt the law and serve

something before 6:00 a.m. the bookmobile, where are they? >> i have my cheat sheet here which i cannot find. the library has been here after great disasters. there has -- is a special book that won an award this year. here is the book. i downloaded it on my kindle. it can check out copies of the book mobile. nex>> thanks for being here. start walking slowly.

welcome to san francisco, everyone. ♪ gentlemen, the voice of the san francisco giants and his radio personality -- kiss radio personality, ranelle brooks moon. >> thank you so much. thank you, everybody.

thank you so much. happy valentine's day, and good afternoon, san francisco. [applause] i am so honored and thrilled to be part of today's celebration. we're going to have a great time as we salute a living legend today. it was 50 years ago, high atop noob -- nob hill in the venetian hotel that tony bennett sang a song for the first time, a song that would become a worldwide and the mind forever with our city. i'm talking about, of course, "i left my heart in san francisco." and what better way to celebrate valentine's day then with a tribute to the most famous love song ever dedicated to our home town by our city's most beloved troubadour, mr. tony bennett?

[applause] and now, everyone, please join the san francisco symphony and our chief of protocol, charlotte schulz, here on stage in welcoming our host, mayor edwin m. lee and first lady anita lee, and the man of the our, our special guest, mr. tony bennett. [applause] -- the man of the our -- the man of the hour, our special guest, mr. tony bennett. [applause] [applause]

[applause]

[applause] that is the way you make an entrance, right? [applause] well, mayor lee, mrs. lee, and honored guests, for 50 years, the sounds of tony bennett and

his rendition of "i left my heart in san francisco" has said to the world that this city by the bay is the capital of love, beauty, and a unique style that made it one of the plan its tourist destinations. mr. bennett, your voice is the voice of san francisco, and this is your day. [applause] we have a fantastic program for you today. we have some local singers inspired by mr. bennett's career, and they will pay tribute to mr. bennett in song. tony bennett, your dedication to young people is known through countless projects such as your exploring the arts foundation and your founding of the frank sinatra school for the arts. you have proved to be a timeless link between artistic generations. and, of course, your inspiration

continues with such incredible and wonderful projects as your recent "duets ii" cd. i have a copy. anybody else? [applause] and check this out, mr. bennett picked up two grammy awards sunday night for that album. [applause] so we congratulate you on that. i believe if you are scoring at home, that makes it 17 grammys in his career. [applause] what we love -- well, we love the cd, but today, we have gone one step further. not just a duet, but an extraordinary trio. i'm pleased to present this trio, performing for the first time together, young people from the choir of the san francisco school of the arts, the san francisco boys chorus, and the

san francisco girls chorus, take it away. [applause] ♪ >> ♪ the loveliness of paris seems somehow sadly gay the glory that was rome is of another day i've been terribly alone and forgotten in manhattan i'm going home to my city by the bay

i left my heart [applause] in san francisco high on a hill it calls to me to be where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars the morning fog may chilly air -- chill the air i don't care my love waits there

in san francisco of of -- above the blue and windy sea when i come home to you san francisco your golden sun will shine for me ♪ [applause]

>> that was great, right? fabulous performance by those young people. what an honor it must be for those children to perform for mr. tony bennett today, paying tribute to his great legacy. something they will never forget, i'm sure. we have many others who wanted to pay tribute to you, mr. bennett, an expression of their love for you and for san francisco. i like to read to you just such an expression. this is a letter inspired by you and your song, the winning entry in the love letter to san francisco contest, sponsored by sf travel. if i may -- "dear sf -- can i call you sf? i remember the first time i was in your presence. age nine. even on your surface, you

enchanted me and i never quite recovered. i did not truly fall in love until i spent my 22nd birthday with you. i explore the depths of chinatown. i toured the rock and froze my but off at a giants game in june. i was hooked. unfortunately, i had plans. plans with that boy in missouri, but how i was wrong to leave you. when i found out he was cheating, i ran to you and you took me in without asking questions. i packed my bags and never looked back. every day, i love you more and more. you had made me the happiest girl in the world and given me a real love. i want to spend my life with you exploring every corner and the depths of your soul. i cannot imagine being with any other city. thank you for saving my life. you truly did. sign your is, until the big one kills us all" --

[laughter] "andy." andy is with us, too. andy lives in the haight. right there. thank you for your love letter to the city. now, i believe we are ready to take a trip down memory lane and check out some of those san francisco landmark that you have made famous, mr. bennett, with your incredible voice and visit some of your longtime friends who also want to pay tribute to you today. >> dear tony, we are here to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the recording of your song and our son, -- song, "i left my heart in san francisco."

what better place to be then the fairmont hotel in san francisco where you first sang your song, our song, in the venetian room? i'm going to meet you in places where you have helped us celebrate the city by the bay, so follow me down memory lane. >> ♪ going home to my city by the bay ♪ >> toni, you have been an integral part of my life, and i get emotional because it was a wonderfully happy time. so i want to thank you. >> hello. you are at the home of the little cable cars that climb halfway to the stars. you know that line, don't you? you remember when we had the

celebration to bring back the cable cars in union square and all over town, and you were there. and here is our pal, a bell ringer of the cable cars for 10 years, and he was there on that day, so what happened? >> i had the honor and privilege of meeting mr. bennett. he wrote on my car with me, and we've run down the high-speed hill with the turnarounds, and he sang a few lines of "i left my heart." >> that song? >> yes, and i just wanted to tell him thank-you for all he has done for this city. >> tony bennett, a household word in san francisco, and for me, all the years i have lived in this city, tony bennett has been like the next door neighbor. wherever i am, whether it is paris, whether it is wrong, whether it ic