Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and his wife, Janet Wozniak, have a soft spot for the dog park at Butcher Park in southwest San Jose. They take their four dogs there to play, and when Woz heard a couple of years ago that the park would be in line soon for much-needed maintenance and improvement, he wanted to help out.

Instead of writing a check, though, he planned a fundraiser at last year’s Silicon Valley Comic-Con during which he would autograph items in exchange for a donation to the dog park off Camden Avenue. Fans lined up and donated $23,000 toward the project.

“There are elements of our environment and our culture that benefit greatly from people being willing to help,” Wozniak said Thursday when he and Janet were honored with Community Hero awards from the San Jose Parks Foundation at its annual Summer Soiree. “And some of them are kids, dogs, parks and trails.”

The celebration at Butcher Park drew a number of elected officials, community leaders, parks supporters and a few fellow dog owners who the Wozniaks have met at the park, which Janet Wozniak gets credit for discovering. “It’s such a nice place,” she said. “We’ve met so many nice people here, and we pick up poop just like everyone else.”

The San Jose Parks Foundation acted as the go-between for the donations, and Executive Director James Reber says the money has been earmarked for Butcher Park improvements. Don’t head over there quite yet to see what’s been done, though. The project is waiting for additional funding, including some matching funds, before it can get started.

CLOSE, BUT NO BATON: Eagle-eyed Heather Lerner was scouting out the City National Civic Auditorium in downtown San Jose when she noticed a framed poster for City National Bank at the venue featuring a testimonial from San Francisco Symphony Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas. Of course, MTT has national — if not global — fame, but it’d be great to feature a spokesperson with a better connection to the South Bay.

Here are a few local suggestions for the next time City National is looking for a face to go with their brand: Van Cliburn gold medal-winning pianist Jon Nakamatsu; comedian and actor Kevin Pollak; famed chef David Kinch; or soccer star Brandi Chastain; or Olympic figure skater Polina Edmunds (or any of the lineup of Olympians who started in San Jose. If they want to stay musical, how about Smash Mouth or the Doobie Brothers? Or just go off the beaten path with the Smothers Brothers or everyone’s favorite cheerleader, “Krazy” George Henderson.

BUT WILL HE BRING OPRAH?: There won’t be an empty seat in the house Aug. 25 when educator and entrepreneur Stedman Graham — probably best known to the world as Oprah Winfrey‘s partner — delivers the keynote at Unity Care Group’s seventh annual YouthLive! Gala on Aug. 25. The nonprofit announced that it has sold out the event at Club Auto Sport in San Jose, which marks its 25th anniversary of helping foster kids who have aged out of the system.

“When we opened our first home for foster youth 25 years ago, I could not have envisioned growing to serve over 7,500 youth and family members each year,” Unity Care Group CEO Andre Chapman said. “We have helped transform the lives of tens of thousands of our community’s most vulnerable youth, putting them on a path to self-sufficiency and a brighter future.”

The evening, featuring youth speakers and musical performances, will also honor ROD-L Electronics founder and CEO Roy Clay Sr. as this year’s Community Champion, for his philanthropic efforts and his longtime support of Unity Care.

ARTISTIC LOOKS AT LOS ALTOS: Will Maller‘s colorful painting of the wooden koi pond bridge at Los Altos Nursery was judged the top entry in “Paint the Town II: Echoes of Our Past,” an exhibition showcasing artists’ interpretations of the town’s landmarks. It’s on display at the Los Altos History Museum through Oct. 7, among the woks submitted by more than 50 artists.

Rong Lyu took second place for her piece, “Echoed Past of the Station,” depicting the heyday of the Los Altos train station, and Susan Migliore took third with “Bayland Clouds.” Honorable mentions went to pieces by Tanvi Buch and Doreen Cohen. The museum is open Thursday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., and you can get more details at www.losaltoshistory.org.

CIRCUS MAXIMUS: You may have noticed that Circus Vargas is in town, having set up its tent in the parking lot of Oakridge Mall in San Jose. The show’s theme is “Dreaming of Pirates,” and, remember, this is a family-friendly circus with lots of acrobatics but no animals. It runs in San Jose through Monday, before heading up to Pleasanton Aug. 16-19. The show will be back in the South Bay for Labor Day weekend, though, with an Aug. 30-Sept. 3 run at the Morgan Hill Outdoor Sports Center, which marks Circus Vargas’ first-ever stop in that city.

For showtimes and tickets, go to www.circusvargas.com.