Alex and Cherlene Write give Steve Penna, center, a cupcake.

Steve Penna, owner of Redwood City’s Spectrum Magazine, celebrated his 54th birthday by requesting that guests at his party donate to that city’s Police Activities League instead of giving him presents. That resulted in $4,000 donations to the PAL, according to Patch Redwood City. Patch says local politicians who turned out for Penna’s bash included Redwood City council members Ian Bain, Rosanne Foust, Jeff Gee and John Seybert, city staff members Bob Bell, Silvia Vonderlinden and Chris Beth, and state assemblymen Jerry Hill and Rich Gordon. (Photo credit: By James Kaspar, from Patch)