Las Patronas gears up for its 65th annual Jewel Ball

By Susan DeMaggio

Lifestyles Editor

The women of Las Patronas held their annual fall luncheon at the La Jolla Country Club on Oct. 20 to welcome (a record) 16 new members and announce the theme of the next Jewel Ball (Sapphire) and the proceeds total from the last ($781,187.10).

In announcing the sum (about $91,000 less than proceeds raised from the 2009 Jewel Ball $872,426), chair Lise Wilson began to cite the tough economy but her comments were cut short as the membership stood to give her Heart + Soul committee a supportive standing ovation.

The beneficiaries of the 2010 Heart + Soul Jewel Ball include Friends of Balboa Park (two high-tech visitor information kiosks), Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA (25-passenger van for Active Adults program), Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (fire suppression/protection system for permanent collection storage), NTC Foundation (landmark electronic sign),

Rady Children’ Hospital (echocardiogram reading station), Scripps Health Foundation (server upgrade and power vault for genomic research), SPORTS for Exceptional Athletes (10-passenger van), The Emilio Nares Foundation (15-passenger van), The Old Globe Theatre (700 new stadium seats for the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre), and UCSD Biological Services (Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Machine for research in medical diagnostics).

With an eye on another tough economic year, President Sallie Warren told the membership that 40 major grant requests totaling $3 million have been received, all competing for the 2011 Jewel Ball proceeds.

“Last year at this time we had 20 requests totaling $2 million,” Warren said. “Our mission is more critical than ever.”

New Jewell Ball Chair Sue Wagener said the 2011 theme, “Sapphire,” will be “an exotic ocean experience of color and creativity.” She introduced co-chairs Pat Marsch and Elaine Murphy, and then challenged the membership to continue its tradition of producing fun and memorable balls that raise money to assist the work of the many community nonprofits.

About Las Patronas

• Established in 1946, the fundraising/granting organization provides financial assistance to nonprofit agencies that enhance the quality of life.

• Las Patronas has donated more than $15 million to some 1,000 charitable community causes.

About “Sapphire,” the 65

th

Jewel Ball

When: 7 p.m. Aug. 6, 2011

Where: La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club

Tickets:

www.laspatronas.org