The annual Don Lapham Memorial Dinner to benefit the Mexican American Educational Guidance Association (MAEGA) will be Monday August 31, 2026 at Tony’s Jacal restaurant in Solana Beach. Click HERE to purchase tickets online (donations can also be made at this site). You can also buy tickets at the door. Each ticket tickets include an enchilada-taco combination plate with beans, rice and salad. All members are encouraged to attend and to bring family and friends. Enjoy dinner any time between 5 and 8 PM on August 31.
Who was Don Lapham? Don was a charter member of Rotary Club of Del Mar and the publisher of the San Dieguito Citizen. Together with Catalina Gonzales (Tony’s Jacal owner), Michael Breen and Dr. George Kirby (former superintendents of Solana Beach Elementary School District and San Dieguito Union High School district, respectively) Don Lapham co- founded MAEGA in 1970 in response to concerns that academically talented high school students of Mexican descent were not attending college due to financial challenges. In the more than 50 years since its founding, MAEGA has provided scholarships totaling more than $3 million to local students. Any senior of Latino descent attending San Dieguito Union district high schools (Canyon Crest Academy, La Costa Canyon High School, San Dieguito Academy, Sunset High School, and Torrey Pines High School) is encouraged to apply.