Founded in 1946, Las Patronas is a philanthropic organization of volunteer women committed to providing financial assistance to nonprofit organizations in San Diego County. Since its inception, Las Patronas has donated nearly $30 million to more than a thousand charitable institutions through year-round fundraising efforts and the annual presentation of the Las Patronas Jewel Ball — one of San Diego’s most enduring social, cultural, and philanthropic traditions. All funds raised stay within San Diego County to support a diverse range of nonprofits.

The group’s 80th Jewel Ball, Festa di Venezia, held at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, generated $1,403,213 for nonprofit organizations, the most raised in a single year in the organization’s history. Led by Jewel Ball Chair Jenny McGowan, alongside Co-Chairs Laurel Hanson and Sara Carpenter, the evening transported guests to the splendor of Venice, Italy. Scenes of St. Marks Square, floating gondolas, and soaring opera singers brought the charms of Venice to La Jolla Shores.  

Las Patronas will celebrate its 81st annual Jewel Ball on August 7, 2027, hosted once again by long-time partner La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club. Led by Jewel Ball Chair Lisa Bresnahan and Co-Chairs Stephanie Stone and Lesley Kroupa, the 81st Jewel Ball: Okavango, will transport guests into a shimmering oasis bursting with life and beauty.

The Okavango Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Botswana, is a massive wetland oasis that is one of the most ecologically important landscapes on the planet. Each year with the cycle of the seasons, rains from the Angolan highlands flow into a vast, arid landscape, transforming the Kalahari Desert into a lush network of channels and lagoons. This vibrant habitat supports large populations of elephant, zebra, antelope, and other herbivores, which in turn attract iconic predators like lions, leopards, and cheetahs, making the Okavango one of Africa’s most spectacular ecological treasures.

Photography by Gilda Adler