Denim and Diamonds July 4th

By Alex MacLeod 

Patronato Pro Niños, which for a half-century has been providing medical, dental, psychological and nutritional care to literally thousands of children and teens in San Miguel de Allende and its surrounding communities, will hold its main annual fundraiser July 4.

This year’s party theme is “Denim & Diamonds,” or “put on your best blue jeans and some bling” and come out for a night of fun at the Hacienda Los Picachos. Tickets go on sale next Monday May 15th. 

The party, from 6-10pm, will feature music by Stephanie Urbina Jones and the Honky Tonk Mariachi. She was the first to bring mariachi music to the stage of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville in its 93-year history and she has been noted as the No. 1 country artist in Texas.

In addition to the outstanding music, guests will enjoy drinks, appetizers, dinner and the chance to contribute to Patronato Pro Niño’s important mission by purchasing a wide range of donated items (from weekend get-a-ways to airport transfers, life coaching and much more).

The dinner menu alone will leave tongues wagging and lips smiling: BBQ ribs, pulled-pork sliders, grilled chicken and veggies, truffle Mac ’n cheese, ‘street’ corn, plus sweet treats and much more. It is being catered by Anders and Kajsa Litzen, a Swedish couple who lived and were beloved caterers and restaurateurs here for years who returned after seven-years back in Sweden.

The master of ceremonies and auctioneers will be local celebrities Eli Hans and Joseph Bennett, otherwise known as The Sublime Guys. They will bring their theatrical and improv skills to bear and keep everyone entertained through the party.

New this year is the “Buy-It-Now Boutique,” with dozens of exclusive items at great deals, from art works and custom jewelry, to hotel stays and spa treatments, to catered dinner parties and more.

That will be followed by a live auction, and a raffle.

The point of all this, of course, is to enable Patronato Pro Niños to continue to provide critical health services to children and teens of needy families. Like all non-profits, and many for-profit businesses, Patronato Pro Niños funding took a big hit during the pandemic. Despite that, the organization continued to pay its staff, knowing that one day the pandemic would end and it would be important to resume its work immediately.

Last year, Patronato Pro Ninos provided more than 13,000 consultations to children of needy families. Included were more than 7,500 dental, nearly 2,900 medical, 800 psychological and 700 nutritional consultations. It saw a little over 2,600 new patients, provided nearly 14,000 dental treatments, 2,700 prescriptions, 4,000 dental supplies and made more than 1,100 referrals to other institutions for children with serious or chronic conditions requiring specialized care.

The organization now has five medical and dental vans that last year logged more than 23,000 miles delivering services to children. Last year it was recognized by the state and municipal government for its work on behalf of children.

The one constant over the years is embedded in Patronato Pro Niño’s name: “For the children.” Everything the organization has done since the beginning is to “care for our kids” in the knowledge that “healthy children make healthy communities.” 

Attending “Denim & Diamonds” is a way to not just have a fun evening, but to help Patronato Pro Niños fully recover financially from the effects of the pandemic.