Support Jim Arnwine's New Journey

Altadena, January 2025

On Wed., January 8 at 3:30 in the morning, Jim Arnwine, his partner Derek Dixie, and their two dogs left their home in Altadena. They had fled their home of 32 years amidst a veil of smoke. "With all the smoke, you couldn't even see the curb," Jim recalls. They lost everything, including Jim's tuba. "No time to take very much. The main concern was keeping the dogs from running off."

Jim Arnwine has been an important pillar of musical life in Pasadena. If you watched or participated in the Rose Parade anytime between 1985-2006, you would have seen Jim. He served as Director of the Tournament of Roses Honor Band for 21 years. Prior to his position at Pasadena City College, he was Band Director at Pasadena High School. He also served the Pasadena City College Music Department and Division of Performing and Communication Arts and Visual Arts and Media as Dean until his retirement in 2019. He was a guiding force towards the building of the prestigious Center of the Arts on the Pasadena City College campus. Jim has been a person at the very center of music and arts education in the San Gabriel Valley.

In his retirement, you could find Jim serving on the board of the Pasadena City College Retirees Association and working on his home and garden. And now his home is lost. Upon seeing the remains of his house, he wrote, "It helps seeing the ruins in person. We are clearly on a new journey."

Aid Jim and Derek on this journey. This fund is set up to financially support them as they restore their lives.

Donations of any amount are welcome. Your support is what is important. Whether you are able or unable to give, please forward this to those who would like to reciprocate the generosity of service Jim has given to the community.

About the organizer

The fundraiser is being organized by faculty and former staff at Pasadena City College's Division of Performing and Communication Arts. We know that Jim would not feel comfortable asking directly for your support and felt the need in such an overwhelming time to be a voice for the needs he is facing.