A local restaurant will host a fundraiser for the Mt. Wilson Observatory.
Gale’s Restaurant, 452 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, will raise money for the famed observatory which survived the Bobcat Fire this summer from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday.
“Thanks to the tireless efforts of firefighting crews, Mt. Wilson survived the Bobcat Fire,” a statement reads. “Now, after months of closure due to the pandemic, Mt. Wilson is asking for community support to continue its 116-year-old mission of science and discovery.”
As part of the fundraiser participants can receive a free lunch or dinner in exchange for a $500 donation. The offer even applies to “To Go” orders. Drinks are not included in the free lunch or dinner.
Owners Jerry Kohl and Gale Kohl have offered to match all donations from this event up to $50,000.
“My brother and I would see Mt Wilson when we were growing up, and it was always so majestic and beautiful up on the mountain. Also, the field trips to see the Observatory when we were in grammar school!” said Gale Kohl. “ We wanted to get more people involved [in the Mt. Wilson donation drive] so we felt this is the least we could do.”
On Sept. 14, Sam Hale, chair and CEO of the Mt. Wilson Observatory Board of Trustees, penned what many people thought was a goodbye letter as the Bobcat Fire moved dangerously close to the historic facility.
But after a prolonged battle, firefighters were able to save the observatory. On Monday, Hale, grandson of George Ellery Hale, the man who built the observatory, told Pasadena Now the fire actually came much closer than many may have thought to the famed mountaintop structures.
Firefighters set backfires to remove potential fuel for the fire and carved out a containment line after flames came within 500 feet of the landmark facility.
According to event organizers space is limited. Reservations can be made by calling the restaurant at (626) 432-5705. When you make your reservation, please say you are a Mount Wilson supporter.
• Please give your $500 check to Gale when you arrive OR make your gift before you come at the Mt. Wilson GoFundMe page: https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/mount-wilson-future-fund
• If you pay by GoFundMe, please bring a copy of your contribution receipt with you.
“Mount Wilson Observatory is incredibly grateful for your support, coupled with a wonderful opportunity to have a free meal at one of Pasadena’s most beloved restaurants. Your gift to Mount Wilson’s Future Fund will make an important contribution to one of Pasadena’s treasures,” according to the statement.
Gale’s Restaurant is at 452 S Fair Oaks Ave. in Pasadena. For more, call (626) 432-6705.
