Make a Donation
No donation is too small or too large. Mail your donations to our Palm Desert office or pay online with PayPal by clicking on the Donate Now link above. We are a California not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, therefore your donations are tax deductible. On our website you will learn about the recipients of our Go Girl! Grants and how your generosity has changed their lives for the better.
Volunteer
Yes, we're all busy, but GFF can use your help. We need volunteers at our national headquarters in Palm Desert, California as well as Regional Advisors and Event Planners for all regions throughout the United States. Give us a call, send us an e-mail, we'll be thrilled to have you join us.
Charter Cabana Boys
According to Girlfriend Factor lore, Cabana Boys are men who acknowledge the depth and clout of women's financial position and purchasing power in our society. They are men who respect the fact that women own the majority of wealth in this country. They understand the strength of the mutual support we provide each other.
We wish to acknowledge the eight brave, insightful men who stepped forward in 2008 to launch our donor base of men, affectionately known as Cabana Boys. They set the bar high for future Cabana Boys and we are eternally grateful for their generosity. These men shall forever be deemed as the Fabulously Original Charter Cabana Boys.
Mitch Epstein
Mitch Epstein is managing partner of Pacifica Seafood Restaurant in The Gardens on El Paseo in Palm Desert, CA. A native of San Bernardino and a graduate of San Diego State University, Epstein has managed restaurants in San Diego, Chicago, Albuquerque and Las Vegas during his 30-year career. Before taking over the management of Pacifica Seafood Restaurant in 2003, he was vice president of food and beverage for Walters Golf in Las Vegas, where he managed the kitchens and staffs of Stallion Mountain Country Club, Royal Links Golf Club and Desert Pines Golf Course. Married and father of 2 children, Mitch Epstein is well known for his philanthropic nature and warm hospitality.
www.PacificaSeafoodRestaurant.com
Brian Harnik
Brian S. Harnik was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated with a bachelor's degree from the State University of New York at Binghamton, and obtained his law degree from the Boston University School of Law in 1981. He is admitted to practice law in New York, Massachusetts, California and several Federal Courts in New York and California. Harnik served as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn New York from 1981 through 1988. He moved to California in 1988 where he formed Roemer & Harnik, LLP and is now the firm's senior partner. The firm represents companies and people in a wide variety of civil matters. Active in the community, Harnik is a past president of the Desert Bar Association, is the current vice president of the Boys and Girls Club of Coachella Valley, and is a founding member of The Warren E. Slaughter-Richard I. Roemer American Inn of Court. He has acted as Judge Pro Tempore and as a settlement judge for the Riverside County Superior Court. He sits on the board of directors of the Indian Wells Town Hall Series, and is a director of Sunrise Community Bank. Brian Harnik and his wife Jan have four daughters and reside in Palm Desert.
www.roemerharnik.com
Harold Matzner
Owner of Spencer's Restaurant, a local landmark, Harold Matzner is CEO of a New Jersey-based branding, advertising, and marketing company but he has called Palm Springs his home for over 25 years. Matzner is chairman emeritus and vice chairman of the Palm Springs International Film Festival, chairman of the McCallum Theater, executive committee member of the Palm Springs Art Museum, and chairman of the Palm Springs Tennis Club Members Association. His philanthropic efforts have benefited the Desert AIDS Project, Stroke Recovery Center, Temple Isaiah, and Animal Samaritans. Harold Matzner received the 269th star on the Palm Springs Walk of Fame. Matzner, a local philanthropist, is credited with revitalizing the Palm Springs Film Festival first envisioned by former Mayor Sonny Bono.
www.SpencersRestaurant.com
Tim Snyder
Service defines much of the professional and personal life of Cabana Boy Tim Snyder. Tim has amassed an impressive career in the food services industry. Having enjoyed many years with the national steak house conglomerate Ruth's Chris, he became involved with the Girlfriend Factor while serving as General Manager of Ruth's Chris Palm Desert location. Tim immediately understood and embraced the philosophy behind the Girlfriend Factor, associating it with the philosophy upon which Ruth's Chris was founded. Without hesitation, he has made Ruth's Chris available to the Girlfriend Factor for many events, often with food and beverage specials that enticed prospective members and rewarded returning supporters The Go Girl Luncheon has been held each year at Ruth's Chris. Tim is married to his wife Stephanie, and they have four children.
www.ruthschris.com
Mark Sofonio
Dr. Mark Vincent Sofonio is a Board Certified plastic sugeon. A native of the Coachella Valley, he successfully completed the accelerated U.C.R./U.C.L.A. combined undergraduate medical school program with Magna Cum Laude honors. He served an Internship and General Surgery residency at the University of Hawaii. He completed his Plastic Surgery Residency training at the Medical College of Ohio. Sofonio is a respected member of the desert's medical community. His exceptional reputation for patient care has earned him numerous awards and recognitions. Dr. Sofonio has a special interest and extensive experience in performing aesthetic surgery. He specializes in all forms of body contouring and facial rejuvenation surgery including the latest techniques in laser surgery and hair restoration.
www.DrSofonio.com
Terry Weiner
Terry Weiner is Chief Executive Officer of Leeds & Son Jewelers in Palm Desert, California. During his 25-year tenure in this position, the company has grown into one of the premier luxury jewelers in the United States. Owned and operated by the Weiner family since 1947, Leeds and Son Fine Jewelers is one of the oldest jewelers in the Coachella Valley. The 6,300 square foot state-of-the-art facility is located in the heart of the prestigious El Paseo Shopping District. Mr. Weiner is also CEO of Baron & Leeds Jewelers in Hawaii with stores and offices in Maui and Oahu, He is also CEO of Rolex at South Coast Plaza presented by Baron & Leeds in Costa Mesa, California.
www.LeedsAndSon.com
Perry Zeigler
Perry Zeigler has been a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch since 1993. Zeigler specializes in asset management for individuals, private foundations and corporate cash management. Active the Palm Desert community, Perry Zeigler has been an ardent supporter of the Girlfriend Factor. He has generously offered his expertise to members in need of financial management. Perry Zeigler and his wife Libby have two children, Nikolas and Madison.
Peter Scheer
Born in Hamburg, Germany, Dr. Peter Scheer has been in private practice in the Coachella Valley since 1986. He is an active staff member both at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs and at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage He received both his Dental degree and his degree in Oral & Maxillofacial surgery from Loma Linda University in California. Still affiliated with Loma Linda University, Dr. Scheer now serves as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Peter Scheer is a world renowned Board Certified Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon as well as a Board Certified Cosmetic Surgeon know internationally for implementing and teaching the latest techniques both here and abroad in both Oral, Maxillofacial, & Cosmetic Surgery. In 1994, when Dr. Scheer designed and built the 30,000 square foot Mirage Center, he vowed to make continuing education a priority and available to his colleagues. To date, he continues to host continuing education lecture series in his state of the art multimedia theater. Although his practice includes celebrities, business executives and fellow physicians from around the world, he makes it a priority to use his skill and compassion to enhance the lives of people, particularly children coping with facial disfigurement, deformity or trauma. www.miragesurgery.com.
