Press Releases

May 23, 2018

Del Mar, CA… Don Diego Scholarship Foundation is elated to announce that it has awarded a record $72,500 in college scholarships to 30 exceptional students who reside throughout the San Diego area and have participated in the San Diego County Fair and/or other activities associated with the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

The students are dazzling in their diversity of talents and united by their desire to make the world a better place. They will be feted at Don Diego’s Dinner and Kansas Concert Gala at the Fair on June 7, 2018 (tickets are still available) before heading to prestigious UC and Cal State campuses; highly regarded universities in Idaho, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Hawaii and elsewhere; and even legendary Notre Dame.

Executive Director Chana Mannen, who has overseen the scholarship process since the Foundation’s inception in 1986, reports, “This year’s crop is amazing. We received the most applications ever. Our selection committee had the challenging task of evaluating qualifications and interviewing finalists; all outstanding and deserving. The cream of the crop rose to the top and we are proud to present our Class of 2018.”

Scholarships at multiple levels were awarded in the categories of 4-H, FFA, Employee, Exhibitor/Participant, Vocational Education and Junior Livestock Auction participant.

The coveted $5,000 Spanjian Family Scholarship was bestowed upon the most outstanding recipient: Angelina (“Gigi”) Manasan, who also received the top $5,000 Exhibitor/Participant scholarship. Gigi, who lives in San Diego and graduates from the Academy of Our Lady of Peace, will use her $10,000 award to attend Creighton University in Nebraska, where she will major in Mathematics.

Don Diego Chairman Roxana Foxx notes, “Gigi’s eclectic array of academic, extracurricular, work and volunteer achievements makes one ponder […]

March 12, 2018

Dear Friend,

What is bigger – a fat, red radish lovingly tended from a tiny seedling that is now as large as a tomato – or the bright eyes of the young gardener accepting a ribbon for growing this delicious masterpiece of nature?

Don Diego Scholarship Foundation’s (DDSF) partnership with the San Diego County Fair’s Plant*Grow*Eat agriculture education program transports Title One elementary school students to an enriching day at the Fair showcasing their lovingly-grown edibles, petting farm animals, and planting the seeds for a life-long love of agriculture and healthy nutrition.

On designated days during the Fair, classrooms of students come laden with radishes, nasturtiums and other edibles that they have grown to be judged. Not every child’s entry will capture first place, but they all receive a participation ribbon, eat their veggies, and then have the opportunity to explore the agriculture areas as they enjoy a glimpse of the ocean; for some, their first time.

Last year, the DDSF sponsored 65 buses that enabled over 3,400 students, teachers and chaperones from low-income Title I schools that do not have the funds to provide field trips for their students due to fiscal restraints and lack of parent associations to participate in Plant*Grow*Eat. Our goal this year is to expand the program and be able to provide 100 buses to the local Title One schools.

We need your help in raising money to keep these students coming. You can sponsor an entire bus for $350 or a partial bus in any amount you can give. Or, maybe you are part of a group (e.g., book club, or bridge or walking group, etc.) that you want chip in together to sponsor […]

March 20, 2018, 2018

Del Mar, CA … Roxana Foxx of Rancho Santa Fe has been unanimously elected to serve as Chairman of the Don Diego Scholarship Foundation. A longtime Board member, Foxx was elected at the March 12, 2018 Board meeting. Also elected to the Executive Board were Karen Tanz, Vice Chairman; Tim Fennell, President; Juanita Hayes, Secretary; and George Karetas, Treasurer. In addition to these seasoned members, the Foundation welcomes new Board members Sandra DiCicco, Glenn Drown and John Hoeflich.

The Board represents a wide array of agricultural, business and philanthropy-minded professionals who together offer a breadth of expertise that will continue to propel the Foundation forward as a preeminent San Diego institution that provides college scholarships to outstanding San Diego area students and grants that enable elementary students to learn about agriculture and nutrition from the ground up.

Roxana Foxx states, “As a competitive equestrian on the horse show circuit and a San Diego business entrepreneur, I have a strong connection to agrarian pursuits and a commitment to rewarding the immense work ethic demonstrated by our annual college scholarship recipients. Many become leaders in the agricultural community. All are helping to build a better San Diego, a better America and a better world.”

Foxx is the founder and CEO of Hunter International, a highly regarded San Diego-based firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions of law firms and lateral partner recruiting and placement. She has amassed a three-decade track record of civic, social and political contributions to California and the nation. Among her plethora of activities, Foxx served as President of the Rancho Santa Fe Association, Board member of the San Diego County Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Trustee of the Performing Arts League. In addition […]

November 20, 2017

Del Mar, CA … The odds-on favorite at the Del Mar Racetrack on November 18, 2017 was not a horse, but a young San Marcos couple deeply in love. On this warm and sunny, picture-perfect morning, romance was in the air … and at the Don Diego Legacy Brick Fountain at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Michael Pettinato, 26, orchestrated his marriage proposal to perfection. First he purchased and customized a brick with a heart inscribed: “Katie Brown, 2017: Will You Marry Me? –Michael Pettinato.” Then he invited their families to “hide” above the Fountain where, promptly at 11:30 am, he entered the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club Stretch Run Gate with Katie, fibbing that he wanted to show her a Don Diego Legacy Brick his mother had bought for installation at the Fountain. Michael led Katie to the spot, unveiled the brick, got down on one knee, popped open up a jewelry box to reveal a gorgeous engagement ring, and popped the question: “Katie: will you marry me?”

Astonished to tears, Katie Brown, 25, screamed, “YES!” As they embraced and kissed, their families cheered. Even race fans walking by who typically would be buried in betting odds applauded and extended their good wishes to the ecstatic couple. The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club graciously hosted the entire Pettinato and Brown families for an afternoon they will not soon forget.

Once Katie caught her breath, the bride-to-be confided, “I’ve been hoping Michael would ask me to marry him. This very morning, I had a weird feeling and thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if he proposed at the track?’ But I had no idea he actually would!”

Michael said that a couple years […]

Ask young children where their food comes from and some might say a fast-food eatery or the grocery store. Ask elementary school students who participate in the San Diego County Fair’s Plant*Grow*Eat program that question, and they will jubilantly respond, “We grow it!”

Ask young children where their food comes from and some might say a fast-food eatery or the grocery store. Ask elementary school students who participate in the San Diego County Fair’s Plant*Grow*Eat program that question, and they will jubilantly respond, “We grow it!”