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Month: March 2018

Air Museum Honors Its Top Guns At ‘Best Of The Best’ Gala

March 27, 2018 by Harold Matzner

Heroes from all walks of aviation service who have contributed beyond the call of duty were honored at the Air Museum’s “Best Of The Best” …

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Categories Press Tags air force, art palm springs, astronaut, harold matzner, palm springs air museum, palm springs high school spirit of the sands, robert pond hangar

Living Desert Celebrates 25 Years Of Zoobilee

March 27, 2018 by Harold Matzner

An elegant tent complete with a ballroom, extravagant decorative touches, African-influenced beats, dancing stilted “giraffes,” and a silent auction were all part of The Silver …

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Categories Press Tags harold matzner, living desert, living desert zoo, palm desert, silver safari, zoobilee, zoobilee gala

A Soaring 50th Jubilee Gala Palm Springs Opera Guild of the Desert

March 27, 2018 by Harold Matzner

The Palm Springs Art Museum hosted almost 300 attendees at the 50th Palm Springs Opera Guild of the Desert Jubilee Gala, where a concert at …

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Categories Press Tags annenberg theater, desert jubilee gala, harold matzner, palm springs, Palm Springs Art Museum, palm springs opera guild, philanthropist

Children’s Discovery Museum Celebrates 20 Years

March 27, 2018 by Harold Matzner

The new clubhouse at Bighorn Country Club hosted The Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert for their silver anniversary. At the event were politicians like …

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Categories Press Tags BIGHORN, bighorn country club, kate spates, palm desert, palm springs, rancho mirage, the children's discovery museum of the desert

Waring Piano Competition: Light As A Feather

March 13, 2018 by Harold Matzner

The Agua Caliente Casino Resort theater played host to the Waring International Piano Competition where feathers and fundraising were featured. Jack and Patti Grundhofer were …

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Categories Press Tags agua caliente, Agua Caliente casino Resort, harold matzner, philanthropist, philanthropy, Waring International Piano Competition

Desert Arc Celebrates Those Who Care

March 13, 2018 by Harold Matzner

Desert Arc’s inaugural Recognition Awards Luncheon at the Agua Caliente Casino Resort brought out almost 300 guests. Desert Arc’s programs are designed to help people …

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Categories Press Tags agua caliente, Agua Caliente casino Resort, Desert Arc, eisenhower health, harold matzner, palm springs

Dana Hobart, Kate Spates lead in campaign fundraising for Rancho Mirage council

March 9, 2018 by Harold Matzner

Rancho Mirage city council candidates Dana Hobart and Kate Spates have both raised $30,959 and $29,444, respectively, for their campaigns. Hobart’s largest contributor was philanthropist …

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Categories Press Tags harold matzner, palm springs, palm springs city council, philanthropist, philanthropy, rancho mirage

Clubs Fore Kids Charity Golf Funds Youth Programs & Scholarships

March 7, 2018 by Harold Matzner

Accommodating weather, a putting contest, and silent auction opportunities set the tone for a successful 7th Annual Clubs Fore Kids Charity Gold Tournament, hosted by the …

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Categories Press Tags annual clubs fore kids charity gold tournament, boys & girls palm springs, escena golf club, goldenvoice, harold matzner, palm springs life, spencers

College Of The Desert Event Full Of Good News

March 5, 2018 by Harold Matzner

The on-campus event held at the College Of the Desert was, in a word, beautiful–down to the weather, backdrop, and food served. Among the announcements …

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Categories Press Tags college of the desert, harold matzner, palm desert, palm springs, philanthropist, scholarship

Eisenhower Health ‘Just Imagine’

March 1, 2018 by Harold Matzner

The “Just Imagine” fundraising gala aimed at bringing Eisenhower Health even closer to achieving their vision of “world class healthcare” was a tremendous success, raising …

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Categories Press Tags eisenhower health, fundraiser, fundraising, harold matzner, palm springs, philanthropist, philanthropy
Harold Matzner
Entrepreneur, humanitarian, and philanthropist, Harold Matzner, has made his home in the desert for more than 30 years. The owner of Palm Spring’s popular Spencer’s Restaurant and CEO of a NY/NJ based branding, advertising and marketing company, Harold is credited with revitalizing the Palm Springs International Film Festival and founding the successful business concept of targeted “shared mail”.
In 2017, the year of his 80th birthday, Harold was one of the eleven men and women selected nationally by the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans as a member and inducted by Judge Clarence Thomas in the courtroom of the United States Supreme Court. Harold was also honored with a special 24-standard page birthday section in the The Desert Sun and a two-part front page story in Palm Springs Life in the November and December editions. He was honored in November 2017 by the General Patton Memorial Museum with the dedication of the Matzner Tank Pavilion and three World War II operating tanks, and in the same month was honored by the McCallum Theatre for 10 years of service as Chairman and for being the first person to give the Theatre $5 million or more.
He also rescued and revived the world famous Palm Springs Tennis Club and turned its lunchroom into Spencer’s, one of the City’s hottest see-and-be-seen restaurants. Spencer’s is named after his beloved 110-pound Siberian husky. Mr. Matzner is in his 11th year as the Chairman of the Board of the McCallum Theatre, his 14th year as Chairman of the Palm Springs International Film Festival, and is the long-time Executive Vice Chairman of the Palm Springs Art Museum. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the Eisenhower Medical Center and Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center. He also chairs several charity fundraising events each year.
He has received many awards from the charities that he supports. He has been honored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals as the “Philanthropist of the Year”, and for the past six years he has served as Honorary Chair of the local National Philanthropy Day event. He has also been recognized by Gilda’s Club as the “Man of the Year”, by the McCallum Muses as “Man of the Year”, the City of Palm Springs with the “Richard M. Milanovich Community Service Award”, as “Angel of the Year” by Angel View Children’s Foundation, as “Businessperson of the Year” by the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce, the Virginia Waring “Lifetime Achievement Award”, “Richard M. Milanovich Humanitarian Award” by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, and by Desert Samaritan’s as “Samaritan of the Year”, and will be honored in May by the Coachella Valley Symphony, to name a few. Mr. Matzner has been a benefactor to many other non-profits, both here and on the East coast.
Mr. Matzner is one of the Palm Springs valley’s largest donors to philanthropy and has contributed more than $70 million to area non-profits since 2000. Among the many local charities benefiting from his philanthropic efforts are the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center, AIDS Assistance Program, Desert Symphony, American Cancer Society, The Living Desert, Cabot’s Pueblo Museum, Coachella Valley Symphony, General Patton Memorial Museum, ACT for MS, College of the Desert, Eisenhower Medical Center, Desert AIDS Project, Desert Cancer Foundation, Palm Springs Animal Shelter, Jewish Family Services of the Desert, American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), StandWithUs, Neuro Vitality Center, Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre, Temple Isaiah, Bighorn BAM (Behind a Miracle), Tools for Tomorrow, Palm Springs Air Museum, Mizell Senior Center, Well in the Desert, FIND Food Bank, Pegasus Riding Academy, LGBTQ The Center, Equality California, and the Human Rights Campaign.
He is credited with the key leadership role in creating Palm Springs’ Measure J (a 1% sales tax increase that has helped to fund a $200 million downtown revitalization program, while providing an additional surplus of $12 million per year to rebuild the city’s infrastructure). He is a community activist. He earns no money from any of his activities in Palm Springs, including his restaurant, Spencer’s.
Mr. Matzner’s star is located at the foot of his friend Sonny Bono’s statue in the heart of Palm Springs.

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Harold Matzner

In 2017, the year of his 80th birthday, Harold was one of the eleven men and women selected nationally by the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans as a member and inducted by Judge Clarence Thomas.

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  • A statement from the family of Harold Matzner September 10, 2025
  • Harold Matzner, Legendary Desert Philanthropist and Business Visionary, Dies at 88 in Palm Springs September 5, 2025
  • Spencer’s Restaurant Honored in Palm Springs Life’s Best of the Best Competition For The Third Year In A Row August 8, 2025
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