The Gold Diggers’ Hats Off to San Diego

The GOLD (Gifts Of Loving Donors) Diggers’ 22nd Annual Hats Off to San Diego took place at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines with a theme of “America the Beautiful” to benefit the Veterans Village of San Diego, Welcome Home Family Program. The centerpiece of the event was the Betty Mabee Hat Parade, with top honors going to The Angels of Aseltine entry. Each year a Gold Digger of long standing is chosen to receive the Founder’s Award. This year it went to Sally Thornton, who was the honorary chair of “Hats Off – A Salute to Broadway” in 2012, has served on the Hats Off honorary committee on many occasions, and has been a longtime supporter of

GOLD Digger philanthropy. Honorary committee chair was Kristi Pieper; honorary committee members included Connie Conard, The Honorable Marion Dodson, Jackie Gillman, Bonnie and Scody Hage, Pamela Hartwell, Holly Smith Jones, Laine and Greg Lansing, Merle Lotherington, Linda Marteeny, Linda Masters, Virginia Napierskie, Phyllis Parrish, Kay Rose, Karen Rudenberg, Sally B. Thornton, Kathryn Vaughn and Priscilla and Keith Webb. Co-emcees were Yvonne Silva and Tom Di Paolo; event co-chairs were Charlotte Perry and Gerri Teyssier.

Photography by Jennifer Nelson