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San Diego's Charity Ball Turns 100!

San Diego’s Charity Ball is the grande dame of fund-raising parties—a formal, black-tie dinner and dance dating back to 1909. This February, San Diegans will be celebrating its centennial. Since 1953, the year before the hospital first opened its doors, the Charity Ball has exclusively benefited Rady Children’s Hospital–San Diego.

Just as Rady Children’s Hospital addresses the needs of a whole family when one of its children is ill, the venerable Charity Ball draws upon the entire Rady Children’s family of donors to make this grand party a success year after year.

Local families have played significant roles in carrying on the Charity Ball tradition. Familiar San Diego names show up on committee rosters, lists of entertainers and chairs of the event. Many families make a point of kicking off the spring social season with invitations to join them in their “box” adjacent to the dance floor. Society-page coverage of the Charity Ball, its décor and the beautiful gowns are almost as much anticipated as the event itself.

These social columns give a glimpse of San Diego’s past. The Depression years, before the event benefited Rady Children’s, saw women gladly recycling their gowns from previous years. The end of World War II, particularly important to San Diego as a Navy town, saw a “Victory Ball” celebrated in 1946, and United States involvement in the 1991 Gulf War led to hundreds of American flags being incorporated into the Charity Ball décor that year.

The first Charity Ball, in 1909, was held at the later-demolished Hotel Robinson (between Third and Fourth avenues on Fir Street). In 1910 and 1911, it was held at the U.S. Grant. Since 1912, all the balls have been given at the Hotel del Coronado, except in 1922. That one took place at the Civic Auditorium in Balboa Park.

Theme and décor have always been important elements of the Charity Ball. Poinsettias and Japanese lanterns created the ambience for the first. By 1930, ultra-modern silver and black décor with dramatic lighting greeted guests entering the circular ballroom of the Hotel del Coronado. 1949 saw California celebrating the centennial of the discovery of gold at Sutter’s Creek, and Charity Ball decorations emphasized the gold theme. Entertainment that night included a series of living portraits telling the history of California.

Recent themes have included “Let’s Go Fly a Kite,” “A Magical Merry-Go-Round,” “Over the Rainbow,” “A Teddy Bear Affair,” “Cirque du Coeur” and “What a Wonderful World!” with related whimsical designs. The 2008 Charity Ball’s theme, “Unforgettable,” evoked a bygone era with a nostalgic sketch drawn from a photograph of Chairman Phyllis Snyder’s grandparents. The décor was created around the Sorbonne lilies flowing in the sketch.

The first Charity Ball raised $1,570. In those early years, the proceeds supported the infirmary Harriet Lyle Sefton had given to the San Diego Children’s Home. Over the years, the proceeds have increased exponentially. The most recent, the 99th anniversary Charity Ball, netted $415,000 for Rady Children’s, including a challenge match of $100,000 from the Rady family.

Planning for the 100th anniversary Charity Ball is in full swing. Rather than having just one chair, this year’s event will be hosted by the past chairmen, who are busy preparing for what will undoubtedly be a historic centennial celebration.