Randy Gordon may have retired five years ago, but his life has hardly slowed down. Just this year, he managed to raise more than $24,000 for a nonprofit supporting service dogs.
In May, Randy and his wife Nancy received the Top Dog Award from Dogs for Better Lives for developing a treat and raising the most money for the nonprofit, which trains and places assistance dogs with people who have disabilities.
But when the Gordons aren’t hard at work for various charities, they dedicate themselves to their six grandchildren and of course, their beloved Havanese dog named Buddy, which they, bought at a charity event in which Randy was the auctioneer.
“I didn’t even want a dog,” Gordon admitted. “But Buddy won us over. He walks on his back legs when he’s excited. He’s part of the family.”
The 10-year-old Havanese even served as the ring bearer at Randy and Nancy’s wedding, dressed in a tuxedo with their wedding bands on his collar.
Their involvement with Dogs for Better Lives came through a friend who encouraged Randy to participate in the nonprofit’s national fundraising competition. He initially declined, but when he learned the organization trains dogs not only for the deaf and hard of hearing but also for autistic children, he was moved to join. A close friend of his has a son with autism.
Gordon’s passion for raising charitable funds came later in his decades-long career in civic leadership. He served as president and CEO of the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce for 26 years, and before that, led the Covina Chamber for 12 years. Though he retired in 2020, he still consults for nonprofits like the Long Beach Rescue Mission, Long Beach BLAST and the Long Beach Boys and Girls Club.
In total, he has performed more than 500 charity auctions, raising over $10 million.
“I kind of became the go-to auctioneer in Long Beach,” he said. He even pursued professional training after retirement, earning a Benefit Auctioneer Specialist certification to set himself apart from livestock or car auctioneers. “Our chant is a lot slower,” he added with a laugh.
The Dogs for Better Lives campaign pushed Gordon out of his comfort zone. He raised funds almost entirely from friends — over 100 donors — and hosted a watch party at Boathouse on the Bay, where he sold $2,500 worth of raffle tickets.
A humorous video of the couple making their signature treat, including a moment where Buddy refused to eat it on camera, sealed the win.
“I worked really hard on it,” he said, adding that it granted him new focus, like the action he missed running the chamber.
That drive to stay active is also what keeps Gordon close to his grandchildren, all based in Southern California.
“We’ve got five athletes and one actress,” he said proudly.
One is off to play college baseball at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota; another is a top baseball player at Wilson High School; a third is a freshman football player; one granddaughter is a working actress attending Mira Costa High School; another is an eighth grade wrestler; and his youngest granddaughter just started as a freshman on the Los Alamitos softball team.
With sports seasons and school plays calling, the Gordons split their time between homes in Huntington Beach and St. George, Utah.
“Even though I'm 76, I want to try to keep the old man out and try to keep my brain active,” he said. “I'm not a couch potato.”