The “fabulous” event nearly sold out.
Jubilantly aided by music, food and decor meant dazzle, the 78th annual Jewel Ball sparkled at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club Aug. 3, a celebration of the hundreds of thousands in donations raised.
“It was fabulous,” said Jewel Ball Chair Jill Peters. “We had an incredible response.”
The Jewel Ball is the annual gala for La Jolla-based philanthropy group Las Patronas, established in 1946 to fund capital items for San Diego-based nonprofits. The ball is meant as a celebration for those who sponsor and donate to the group’s projects.
Themed “Meet Me in Marrakesh,” the 2024 event welcomed 590 guests – nearly at its 600-person cap – into transformed portions of the Beach & Tennis Club, inviting them to a colorful atmosphere designed and assembled by the volunteers of Las Patronas to delight.
The specific amount raised for 2024 will not be released until the group’s New Member Luncheon in mid-October, but Las Patronas President Julie Garrie said more than $950,000 was raised in sponsorship.
Funds donated will go to this year’s six major beneficiaries (Adapt Functional Movement Center, Center for Community Solutions, Guide Dogs of America, KPBS, Urban Street Angels and Zoological Society of San Diego).
Several other nonprofit organizations also benefit from Las Patronas with smaller grants.
Garrie and Peters expressed a wealth of gratitude for donors and sponsors and especially the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, which partners on the Jewel Ball.
One raffle item remains; email president@laspatronas.org for more information.
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