.png)
Professional Child Development Associates (PCDA) will celebrate twenty years of serving children with autism or other developmental disabilities and their families at its ninth annual Harvest Moon Gala Dinner and Art Auction to be held on Sunday, October 1, 2017 at the South Pasadena home of Mario and Therese Molina. The evening has many South Pasadena ties including residents Lolita Lopez from Channel 4 as Mistress of Ceremonies, California Poet Laureate, Dana Giola, and PCDA Executive Director, Diane Cullinane.
The recipient of this year’s PCDA Community Service Award is our own Robert S. “Bob” Joe, a South Pasadena City Councilmember since 2011 who served as Mayor in the 2014-15 term. Joe is most certainly beloved here in South Pasadena, not only because of his kind and jovial manner, ever-present at all South Pasadena events, but due to his unwavering support of so many organizations and the people of South Pasadena.
“This honor is not because of me, although I am very humbled and honored,” says Joe, “it’s really about helping others and my belief that public service is about serving others. That’s the key reason that I am honored to receive this from PCDA; it’s important to give a heart to the needy and to those with special needs and my efforts must be aimed to restore hope.” He goes on to praise his fellow honorees saying, “they have all inspired me.”
Joe has a long history of community service, including on the City of South Pasadena Transportation Commission, Design Advisory Group, Parks and Recreation Commission, and Freeway and Transportation Commission. Joe has also served on the Friends of Chinatown Library Advisory Board, the Chinatown Library Board of Directors, the Door of Hope Board of Directors, and the Federal Chief of Engineers Environmental Advisory Board. He is also an Elder for the San Gabriel Presbyterian Church, and has been a coach for AYSO Region 214 and coached a Little League girls’ fast pitch team for more than a decade.
Now retired, Bob Joe had a successful career as an engineer with the Metropolitan Water District and the Army Corps of Engineers, which honored him with a Department of the Army Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service and Superior Civilian Service Award. Joe is married to Carol, and they have three adult children and two granddaughters. The PCDA Community Service Award recognizes a community leader who has generously donated time and talent in service to the community, and particularly to children and families. Through a demonstration of outstanding character and genuine care for others, Bob Joe has shown himself to be a role model and inspiration for others.
The recipient of this year’s PCDA Achievement Award is Ethan Uy. Ethan is attending Citrus College as a freshman with plans to transfer to Cal Poly Pomona and major in Engineering. Ethan plays the alto saxophone and was a member of the Arcadia High School Marching Band all four years, playing at the 2017 Rose Parade and many other venues. Ethan’s hobbies include movies, video games, hiking and cooking. Diagnosed with autism at age 3, Ethan’s parents are very proud of the accomplished and kind young man he has become, and they are delighted with the skills he learned while in PCDA’s Teen Club program that helped him to make friends and become more independent.
All proceeds from this one-of-a-kind evening will benefit PCDA. For twenty years, PCDA has worked to improve the quality of life for children with autism and other developmental disabilities and their families. Using a play-based therapeutic approach, every year PCDA clinicians help over 1,000 children, teens and young adults reach developmental milestones, live more fulfilling lives, and enjoy warm and loving relationships.
To purchase tickets or become a sponsor please visit http://www.pcdateam.org/harvestmoon/
To learn more about PCDA, please see our website, www.pcdateam.org. For information on this year’s Harvest Moon Gala, please contact Franci Levine-Grater at (626) 793-7350 x 289 or franci@pcdateam.org
Honorary Committee: Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Mayor Michael Cacciotti, Congresswoman Judy Chu, Assemblymember Chris Holden, Chief Arthur J. Miller, Mario and Therese Molina, State Senator Anthony Portantino, Chief Philip Sanchez, Mayor Terry Tornek, Lorraine Triolo & Jeffrey Burke, Carolyn & Craig Watson, Cara & Douglas Yokomizo.
Harvest Moon Committee: Chelby Crawford-Chair, Rachel Rosales-Auction Chair, Laura Agakanian, Shana Bayat, Monica Dallalzadeh, Tracy Green, Andrea Harris, Virginia Ko, Martha Marcon, Sylvia Pabon, Daniel Park, Lydia Saldivar, Julie Yale, Kerri Zelenak.
