Pasadena Senior Center Zest Gala – Sept. 29

Dr. Drew will be master of ceremonies at this gala which helps fund the Pasadena Senior Center’s enrichment classes and social service programs.- Courtesy photo / Facebook, @drdrew

Dr. Drew Pinsky will be master of ceremonies

The Pasadena Senior Center’s annual Zest gala on Sept. 29, will be an elegant, fun-filled evening honoring Rosemary “Rary” Simmons, a long-time community volunteer whose good works have impacted thousands in the greater Pasadena area.

Cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction during a 5 p.m. reception will be followed by dinner and program at 6 p.m.

Dr. Drew Pinsky, known to international television and radio audiences as Dr. Drew, will serve as master of ceremonies. He is a prominent Pasadena physician who is an addiction specialist and media personality.

“We are pleased and proud that our Zest gala this year will honor Rary Simmons, who has developed an extraordinary legacy of community and philanthropic leadership over the decades through her faithfulness to the Pasadena and San Marino communities and her generous disposition,” said Akila Gibbs, executive director of the Pasadena Senior Center.

Born and raised in the Los Angeles area, a graduate of Occidental College and a resident of San Marino since 1954, Rosemary “Rary” Simmons, serves on the advisory committee for the Pasadena-based Cancer Support Community; serves on the board of directors for Hill-Harbison House, which primarily benefits San Marino Girl Scout troops and City of San Marino Recreation Department programs; and is the only emeritus member of the Huntington Hospital board of directors, where she chairs the Philanthropic Committee.

She previously served as board chair for the Sycamores Boys’ Home in Pasadena (now Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services) and has served on boards and committees for the Los Angeles Music Center, Hillsides home for foster children and Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts. She served for 10 years on the San Marino City Council, was its first female member and went on to become the first female mayor of San Marino. She was married to Frank Simmons from 1952 until his death in 2008. She has five children and six grandchildren.

For more information or to receive an invitation to the Zest gala, email pamk@pasadenaseniorcenter.org or call (626) 685-6756. Tickets are $200 per person. Proceeds will help fund the Pasadena Senior Center’s enrichment classes and social service programs. The location of the gala will be included in the printed invitation.

For more information about services and programs of the Pasadena Senior Center, visit pasadenaseniorcenter.org or call (626) 795-4311.

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