Tony and Kathy Zimmer wear many hats during the Family House Polo season in addition to the ones they have worn to the match since 1989. The couple was introduced to Polo through a client who was one of the event’s founding members, and since then have only expanded their involvement with Family House.
3 min read
Tony and his sister Miriam “Moss” Zimmer own and operate Bethel Park Printing (BPP) in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, a family business that has served the community for almost 65 years. Since the late eighties, BPP has provided Family House with many print materials for Polo including invitations, programs, tickets, and signage. After years of collecting dozens of the beloved Polo bells, the Zimmer family and BPP stepped up as this year’s official Bell Sponsor. The Zimmers have also been a Silver Sponsor and in 2014 were honored with the Muldoon Cup, an award presented at Polo that recognizes outstanding contributions to Family House.
After nearly 36 years, it isn’t the live music (though the Zimmers have seen several famous musicians, including Ray Charles, perform at Polo) or displaying bells at their tailgate that brings the family back year after year – it’s the mission of Family House. Kathy compares the organization’s events to a family reunion. Her son, AJ, who also works for BPP and has attended Polo for most of his life, says that he sees a lot of the same people every year. “For me, that’s what Family House is – it’s not people who necessarily share blood, but everybody’s a family there. Having a place to come in these moments of extreme distress, how can you not support that? What happens if one day we find ourselves in those shoes?”
Like everything, the Annual Family House Polo Match has evolved over the years. While it used to be one of Pittsburgh’s biggest adult-centered events with fewer activities for children, the Zimmers note that they’ve seen it increasingly adapt to accommodate more families. “It’s still a party,” they laughed, “but family is in the name.”
Attending Polo as a child instilled in AJ a love of Family House before he was old enough to understand the full impact of the mission. “Watching my parents support it over the years, it became my favorite non-profit organization.” Now, working full-time for Bethel Park Printing, AJ said he lights up every time he gets a call from Family House regarding print requests for Gala, Polo, or other marketing materials like year-end appeals. For AJ, it comes down to a simple declaration: “I support the mission.”
Every year, the Zimmers are among the last to leave the field after Polo, and they reminisce about their favorite event memories. In 1996, one of the only times the event has been relocated due to rain, Polo was reborn downtown as an indoor disco. They remember fondly the Saks Fifth Avenue fashion show at the Hartwood Acres Mansion that used to follow the event, and laugh about the first year they tailgated with fried chicken next to a luxury car serving champagne and caviar. “It’s a heck of a way to spend a Saturday afternoon,” Kathy said. For the Zimmer family, whether they’re attending Polo is never a question. “It’s just on our calendar. It’s what you do the Saturday after Labor Day.”
Begin your own family tradition at the 42nd Annual Family House Polo Match presented by FNB on Saturday, September 6th. Get your tickets today!
