Our Own HELICOPTER!

Saturday, March 28, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Stairwell 17 -- Ocean Beach, SF, CA
Arrive by 11:00 to be in place for filming at 11:30

More Details and registration link:
https://mobilize.us/s/n8Z4g6

Dear Far-flung Human Banner Community,

This event is shaping up!

So far, I have been afraid to look at the weather forecast for next Saturday, but yesterday a friend reported that it “looks gorgeous.”

• A week out, we are closing in on 1,700 registrations. I am expecting 3,000 or more to attend, as I cannot recall a “good weather” event where registrations did not double during the week preceding Game Day.
• Our first human banner took place in 2007. In those early years, it was our practice to mail thank-you postcards to all attendees who left their postal addresses with us at the event. We’re working on reviving that practice this time around. I’d put the odds at exactly 50/50. Step One: Getting a postcard-worthy shot, especially one showing the Bridge.
• Twenty years ago, we always rented a helicopter. Over the past decade, drones have transformed our world. (One enormous benefit: The Bay Area’s fog cannot, on a whim, overwhelm a banner.) Three licensed drone rigs will go airborne for us on the 28th.
• We always hope the good folks at the San Francisco Chronicle will put up their drone and, once again, blast their photos and footage worldwide. Over the past year, we’ve been thrilled, even astounded, by some of the places our imagery has landed: Rolling Stone, Forbes, the Atlantic, the Guardian, Seth Myers, Rachel Maddow, Irish Times… We get giddy each time we see our work in the Hindustan Times!
• Drones, however, are forbidden from exceeding 400 feet in altitude, which is not high enough to capture the Golden Gate Bridge in the background of our images. Nearly a decade has passed since we last pulled that off.
• Yesterday we BOOKED A HELICOPTER. Stefan Ruenzel will be aboard, above Ocean Beach, on the 28th.

THE MESSAGE:

• Our core team has read and pondered all the message suggestions we have received during the last few weeks — thank you very much! The process is definitely...a process. I never really consider The Message “final” until I see it etched into the sand. Sometimes, The Message remains undecided until the last minute. But last night we zeroed in on what we consider a near-final rough draft. I’m very happy that we can share it a full week ahead.

The message will be recreating the familiar "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service" signage - and ours will read "No Kings, No Wars, No Grift."

There will be a "ticker tape-like" scroll with a message as well.

[ Note: We have not yet finalized the content of the ticker tape/news scroll, but I think it’s just gotta reference Epstein and Trump. ]

If you can come, please do register:

https://mobilize.us/s/7gGA0u

And please feel free to share this email (especially the registration link) with friends.

IMPORTANT: On Game Day, we need many volunteers to help get the image etched into the sand and the crowd organized. If you are available, please see the PS at bottom.

Our Whole Team very much looks forward to seeing everyone again.

Warmly,

Brad Newsham, for myself and co-organizer Travis Van Brash, our whole Human Banner-SF Team and the dozens of others whose names and contributions are too numerous to share here.

PS —Volunteers needed at:

• 7:00 am — Unload supplies. Clean-up beach area. Etch into the sand the outline of the “box” around the whole image.
• 7:30 am — Fit, able-bodied people to stretch 300-foot tape measures, place tarps, place small marker flags, fill in as needed.
• 10:00 am — Meeting of letter captains. We’ll need 30-40 to help keep people organized, ensuring a crisp clean visual result.
• Post-event — Break down event, pack up supplies, leave beach cleaner than we found it.

HAVE MEDICAL EXPERTISE? Are you a doctor, nurse, EMT or trained first responder, and available to be on call during the event? We would love your help. Please email us at info@humanbanner-sf.com. Thank you!