A Winter of Philanthropy in Palm Springs
Harold is thrilled to support the Desert’s many charities that strengthen our community. Harold would like to thank his fellow donors who joined him in sponsoring these nonprofits and fundraisers- Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley are as special as they are because of you!
On November 19th, the Bighorn Institute hosted its annual Party and Golf Classic in Palm Desert to celebrate 41 years of conservation work for the world’s wild sheep, especially our desert’s Bighorn Sheep. The sold-out dinner hosted 125 guests and a silent auction, followed by a two-day golf clinic and tournament. Harold was among the event’s Platinum Sponsors.
On December 3, the Animal Samaritans’ 14th Annual Men of the Desert Fashion Show & Luncheon was held at the Palm Springs Air Museum. The event hosted over 500 attendees and raised over $200,000 for its Animal Rescue Program! Harold Matzner and his partner Shellie Reade were Golden Paws Sponsors of the event.
The McCallum Theatre held is annual gala event on December 6th, featuring a performance from Broadway legend and six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald. The theatre raised over $1.5 million to support educational and cultural programs, including the Open Call Talent Project, which gives up and coming artists the opportunity to perform and work on a professional production. Harold Matzner was among gold circle sponsors of the event.
Over the weekend of January 31 to February 2, the Rancho Mirage Writers Festival celebrated its 10th anniversary. The Festival was founded in 2014 by philanthropists Jamie Kabler and Helene Galen. Harold Matzner and The Auen Foundation join Galen as angel supporters of this new festival that brings together dozens of best-selling authors with thousands of readers.
Over the holidays, Palm Springs locals Sergio Garcia and Steve Lautenbach started a grassroots campaign to collect toys for the children of migrant farm workers. Via word-of-mouth and hard work, they collected 1,218 toys, donated to the Riverside County Office of Education’s Migrant Education Program. Garcia and Lautenbach offered special thanks to Harold Matzner, among others, for their support and are looking forward to expanding their toy drive next Christmas!
Photo: Jamie Kabler, Tom Hanks, Helene Galen, and Harold Matzner at the 2019 Rancho Mirage Writer’s Festival. By Lani Garfield for the Desert Sun.
