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Contact: MaryAnne Pintar
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Las Patronas Announces New Members, Theme for Jewel Ball 2012 Success of Sapphire Ball Also Celebrated: over $600,000 raised for nonprofits La Jolla, CA, October 12, 2011 – Las Patronas kicked off its 2011-2012 year at a luncheon this afternoon where eight energetic new women were welcomed by its active and advisory members. The group also announced the proceeds from the 2011 Jewel Ball, and revealed the new theme for 2012. The new members attended their first General Meeting and were then introduced at the luncheon. They are: Lisette Farrell; Michelle Kearney; Michelle Lanuti; Alison Lee; Corinne Lynch; Sherry Macelli; Kathryn Munoz; and Leigh Plesniak. Members of Las Patronas are invited to serve a six year term. “We are very pleased to welcome these wonderful women into our Las Patronas family,” said President Lisa Albanez. “Las Patronas is able to keep up its 65-year tradition of giving because of the hundreds of women in our community who have stepped up over the years and generously given their time and talent to support San Diego non-profits.” After the introductions, 2011 Jewel Ball Chair Sue Wagener announced that proceeds from the spectacular and successful Sapphire Ball exceeded $600,000. “We received so much wonderful feedback from those who attended Sapphire; it was a beautiful, magical night,” Wagener said of the Aug. 6 event which had a vibrant, exotic underwater theme. “I am so grateful to the hundreds of sponsors, underwriters, donors and advertisers who supported our incredibly worthy beneficiaries,” she said. “I’m also very proud of our members who worked tirelessly to create an enchanting and fantastic event.” Funds from Sapphire will fund major grants to: The Arc of San Diego to purchase a passenger van with a wheelchair lift to transport people with disabilities; the Family Health Centers of San Diego, Inc. to fund dental operatory treatment chairs for the Logan Heights Family Health Center; Friends of The Riford Center to renovate classrooms used for adult classes and other programs; La Jolla Playhouse to retrofit lighting in the Mandell Weiss Theatre; Mountain Health and Community Services, Inc. for an X-ray processing and digitizing unit for patient x-rays; REINS Therapeutic Horsemanship Program to buy a tractor and loader to maintain their property; San Diego Fire Rescue Foundation to purchase 33 VHF Radios to support field operations; San Diego Food Bank Corporation to purchase a forklift to transport food for distribution within the warehouse; San Diego Junior Theatre for a digital sound system for the Casa del Prado Theatre in Balboa Park; Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista to acquire vital sign monitors with mobile stands for in-patient hospital use; UCSD Shiley Eye Center to buy a tricaster broadcasting system for use in their macular degeneration outreach program; YWCA of San Diego County to buy a telecommunications system for domestic abuse and homeless shelter residences and hotline. An additional twenty-five plus organizations will also receive smaller grants from Sapphire within the coming months. Towards the end of the luncheon, 2012 Jewel Ball Chair Elaine Murphy and her Jewel Ball Committee unveiled the 2012 Ball theme: PASSEGGIATA! Muphy said that for Italians – and the hundreds of guests who attend the 66th annual fundraiser – Passeggiata translates into an evening stroll that begins in the piazzas of an Italian town. Couples head out, strolling arm in arm, greeting others along the way, for a stylish evening with friends. It begins with cocktails and progresses on to dinner and dancing in chic restaurants and glamorous night clubs into the early morning hours. She said the Roman-inspired theme gives a nod to the sophisticated styles of the late 50s and early 60s as portrayed in films such as “Roman Holiday” and “La Dolce Vita.” “The décor will have an elegant mid-century Italian style, set against a backdrop that resembles the famous ruins of Rome,” Murphy said. The 66th Annual Jewel Ball will be held on Aug. 4, 2012, at the beautiful La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club, as is tradition. Mark your calendars! For information about sponsorship opportunities for Passeggiata!, contact Jena Joyce at jena_joyce@joycelawgroup.net. For more information about Las Patronas and the Jewel Ball, please go to www.laspatronas.com. # # # # # # Las Patronas is a philanthropic organization with a long history of giving. Since its inception in 1946, Las Patronas has donated more than $15 million to over one thousand charitable institutions in San Diego. Las Patronas is committed to providing financial assistance to non-profit organizations in San Diego County that provide valuable community services in the areas of health, education, social services, and cultural arts, and to continuing our tradition of service to enhance the quality of life in our community. The funds distributed to these organizations are generated through yearlong fundraising efforts and the annual presentation of the Jewel Ball, one of San Diego’s most enduring social, cultural and philanthropic traditions.
