The Coronado Historical Association museum has a new exhibit. It celebrates the Rotary Club of Coronado’s 100 year anniversary in 2026.
With historical photographs and artifacts, A Century of Service: 100 Years of the Rotary Club of Coronado covers the history of the club, from its founding in 1926 by 21 members to the present day. More importantly, it details how club members have improved the local community, and have worked to help people all around the world.
I was stunned to learn about the sheer amount of charitable work these Rotarians have done!
The Rotary Club of Coronado has worked to train community members in emergency preparedness. During COVID they created a Neighbor to Neighbor program to help keep people informed and connected. They support the Coronado Hospital Foundation. They offer scholarships, mentorship and leadership opportunities to local youth. They support the Rotary Youth Exchange, Model United Nations, Music Scholarship Competitions, Speech Contests, Athlete Awards and more!
Helping people around the world, the Rotary Club of Coronado fundraises to eradicate polio. They support grants for organizations like Tanzania Hospital and Orphanage, Project Mercy Baja, and the Pan American Institute school in Tijuana, Mexico. They support Limbs of Freedom which provide prosthetics in Mexico. They also support Thousand Smiles, providing cleft lip and other care in Mexico, too.
So much good work!
Go check out the exhibit and prepare to be impressed!
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Fido Fest was held yesterday in Santee’s Town Center Community Park East. Organizations and vendors that support dogs gathered together for the free, very popular event.
I was astonished by the number of organizations present that engage in dog rescue. They came from all around the San Diego and Baja California region. Between them, hundreds of dogs were up for adoption.
Would you like to adopt a dog? Would you like to support those good people who are rescuing dogs and providing them with a loving home?
I walked about Fido Fest and saw many of these good people.
My first photo, above, shows Woofs and Wags Dog Rescue. Their goal is to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome dogs rescued from from San Diego and Baja California. Their website is here.
Labrador Rescuers has been dedicated to the noble cause of rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming Labrador Retrievers for two decades. Their website is here.
Open Arms Rescue, based in Imperial Beach, is giving dogs a new start at a happy life! Their website is here.
Friends Humane Services Tijuana supports street rescues, mass spay and neuter clinics, pet owners with extremely limited resources needing veterinary care for their animals as well as public education programs, adoption programs for rescuers, and a pet food distribution program for animals in need. Their website is here.
Chihuahua Rescue of San Diego County is dedicated to rescuing and caring for homeless, abandoned and injured small breed dogs. Their website is here.
San Diego Humane Society needs no introduction. They do much good work. Visit their website here.
Paws 4 Thought Animal Rescue is an all-breed animal rescue organization. They rescue dogs from shelters at risk of being euthanized, as well as abandoned, abused, and stray dogs in both the U.S. and Tijuana/Rosarito areas. Their website is here.
Calexico Border Paws relocate their visiting animals to forever loving homes that match their needs, while avoiding as much euthanization and as possible. Their website is here.
DeTommaso Dogs Rescue aims to save as many animals in need as they can. They rescue animals from the streets of Baja California. They provide medical care, food, shelter, and rehome dogs. Their Instagram is here.
Southern California Golden Retriever Rescue is the third largest Golden Retriever Rescue in the country, finding homes for over 300 dogs annually. Their website is here.
Ruger’s Rescues is for those individuals and families up and down the state (and even in other states) that found that special dog, but are unable to get to the shelter in time or transport them home. Their website is here.
Rescue Fenix is an all volunteer all breed rescue mobilized by the feeling of compassion for animal welfare: those animals who are in danger, sick, abused and neglect. Their website is here.
Leonberger Rescue Pals is an all volunteer national organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and re-homing of unwanted, abandoned or abused Leonbergers and Leonberger mixes. Their website is here.
Animal Donation Advocates has many dogs up for adoption. See their Facebook page here.
Labradors and Friends Dog Rescue‘s mission is to help save the lives of homeless Labradors, Labrador-mixes, and Labrador “friends” from kill-shelters in California and across the southwest. Their website is here.
Animal Rescue Resource Foundation supports a variety of efforts in San Diego County to protect and defend our furry friends. Their goal is to provide connections and solutions for pets and the people that work with them. Their website is here.
Fido Foster Community helps you find your perfect foster match and join San Diego’s cross-rescue foster community. Their website is here.
Heart of Gold’s Shelter in El Cajon is making the world a better place! Their Facebook page is here.
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Char Car (@charcar04) supports literacy by providing books to children in hospitals and schools, including Rady Children’s Hospital. The San Diego Gulls ice hockey team is a big supporter of literacy, too, with programs like Reading is the Goal.
My own short stories, including One Thousand Likes, are read by students around the world, so naturally I’m in favor of these efforts.
I’ve learned that Char Car is holding a Gulls Hockey Fundraiser that keeps kids reading. Game tickets purchased through the fundraiser will benefit summer reading programs. For $20, you get to watch a great game on Saturday, April 18, 2026, and you benefit local families! Sounds like a great deal to me!
For more information, see the above graphic!
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Alpha Project is collecting donations right now in Balboa Park’s Recital Hall. The urgently needed donations can be dropped off from 10 am to 6 pm.
Their shelter was flooded by the recent storms and had to be evacuated. Your donations of clothing, undergarments and hygiene items will benefit the homeless people who were affected.
You can email info@alphaproject.org if you have any questions.
By purchasing a game ticket via the Gulls Star Wars Fundraiser, $5 dollars will go to supporting a special Star Wars Book Night on May the 4th at the Ronald McDonald House!
The event is organized by the good people who operate the non-profit Char Car. Char Car is a cool Pokémon tribute car and program that promotes literacy.
The supported event at Ronald McDonald House will include members of the San Diego Star Wars Society reading to the kids and posing for pictures. Grogu (Baby Yoda) ears will go to all the participating kids!
Learn more about Char Car at their Instagram page here. You can buy a Gulls Star Wars Fundraiser ticket there, or by scanning the Venmo code on the event flyer photo that I’ve posted above.
Here are photos from past Star Wars Book Nights at Ronald McDonald House…
Photo credit Ron Luis Valles.Photo credit Ron Luis Valles.
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Water and Kindness is a charitable program that supports people in City Heights who might need a little help.
According to the Water and Kindness website: Our mission is to ensure that all people living in City Heights and surrounding neighborhoods have access to clean drinking water and necessary resources while strengthening collective community efforts across San Diego.
I learned about Water and Kindness during my recent visit to the Pop-up Winona community gathering place, which is located at El Cajon Boulevard and Winona Avenue. Those two banners above and other signs caught my eye.
Water and Kindness has a Free Community Store, open Saturdays 10-2, at Pop-up Winona. Here they also host a monthly Swap and Community Fair on the last Saturday of every month.
I encourage everyone to visit the Water and Kindness website by clicking here, where all this helpful information is easy to read. If you know a struggling someone who could benefit, let them know!
Here’s a peek at Pop-up Winona…
Water and Kindness needs these items for donation…
There are several free food programs available around City Heights. Visit this website for a better image.
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I ran into these good people this morning before the start of San Diego’s annual Holiday Bowl Parade. They operate the Char Car!
What’s the Char Car? A vehicle that celebrates Pokémon character Charmander, and that delivers books to kids in hospitals, schools and libraries!
Dr. Elizabeth Valles is a member of this smiling gang. She works at Rady Children’s Hospital. You might have seen her on KUSI television the other day. She was honored as KUSI Community Champion for her #ReadingonFire literacy campaigns. She and her team make the lives of children so much better, by promoting child literacy and spreading happiness.
Follow the Char Car’s Instagram page by clicking here. You can learn about their future events and perhaps even help them out!
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The Giving Machine has returned to Old Town San Diego in time for the holiday season. Operate this unique donation vending machine and you’ll generously help those less fortunate than you.
The many different charities that can benefit from your donation are mostly local, but you can help those who live in poverty around the world, too. You choose which charity to help, and they receive one hundred percent of your donation!
This is the second year of San Diego’s Giving Machine. It’s a project of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The people I met in the above photo were super nice, even though my personal beliefs are very different. They want to do good in this world.
I learned that last year, this same machine outperformed every other machine out there, in over a hundred international cities! That’s impressive.
The Giving Machine is located on Twiggs Street again, a bit up the street from last year. It stands on the patio in front of the old Cygnet Theatre building. If you visit Old Town during the holidays, you might see it.
Why not spread a little human kindness?
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The 24th Annual Father Joe’s Villages Thanksgiving Day 5K is being held this morning. It raises funds to help the homeless in San Diego. It’s called the Run For Hope.
Runners (and walkers) converged in Balboa Park for an annual event that draws thousands of participants. I was told there are over 10,000 this year!
The energy was incredible. Families, friends and social groups had come together. Turkey hats and costumes could be seen everywhere in the crowd. I even found Dude Vader wearing feathers, and some smiling Pilgrims!
Before the Thanksgiving 5K began, a huge mass of people streamed over the Cabrillo Bridge from the center of Balboa Park where a festival is being held. They would start the race on the west side of the bridge, then take a course circling the park to the north.
If you couldn’t participate, but you’d like to make a donation to Father Joe’s Villages, click here for their website.
Some fun photos…
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If you’d like to see San Diego through my lens, find the “Follow” box in the sidebar to receive new posts in your email, or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
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The City of San Diego’s annual Agewell Craft Sale was held this weekend in Balboa Park. Local artists came together at the Casa del Prado to sell unique crafts they’d made by hand.
I noticed a good crowd of people perusing the crafts today with only an hour to go in the sale. I enjoyed looking at the amazing crafts–every sort, including very original creations–which filled artist tables inside and outside the Casa del Prado. I saw lots of potential holiday gifts.
In addition, kids were making art in an activity corner and filling a North Pole postal box, there was a raffle, and entertainment by The Ukes of Hazard musical ukulele group was making everyone smile.
Okay, I especially liked some super funny crafts made by artist Leslie Wagoner. You can see a couple of her hilarious creations in my first two photographs, above and below.
Creativity and fun everywhere you turn…
Adult visitors were invited to create art, too!
Lastly, one kindly artist was selling beautiful crafts in order to raise funds in support of Nazareth Orphanage in Tecate, Mexico. The orphanage is home to young boys and girls whose parents are unable to care for them.
For over twenty years, Father Brian Kelly, a Navy Chaplain stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, has led volunteer efforts in support of Nazareth Orphanage.
If you’d like to read about this and perhaps provide a donation, click here.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
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