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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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 post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
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.
Have you heard of the Yellow Ribbon Fund? I hadn’t, until I met some friendly people in Escondido during todays’ Veterans Day Parade.
The Yellow Ribbon Fund, as the above sign indicates, provides free events and programs to eligible disabled post-9/11 veterans and their families. I had to check out their website, which you can also do by clicking here.
I learned the organization enhances the lives of military families facing medical crisis.
As they explain: Yellow Ribbon Fund was one of the first veteran service organizations to recognize the importance of keeping the family together during the critical recuperation phase. Through the creation of our key programs: Crossroads and Keystone, we are able to make an impact on veterans and their families nationwide.
If you’d like to help these good people out, go to their website and explore the possibilities!
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
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.
The 19th Annual Walk in Remembrance with Hope will be held in San Diego tomorrow morning, Sunday, September 14, 2025.
The Walk in Remembrance with Hope celebrates the lives of loved ones lost to suicide. It also raises awareness about suicide prevention.
The walkers and others will gather in Balboa Park on the grass near Sixth Avenue, south of Laurel Street. Registration begins at 7 am.
I met the good people setting up for the event this afternoon. The Walk in Remembrance with Hope is organized by Survivors of Suicide Loss. See their website here.
All ages, friends, family and pets are welcome to join! Start a team and invite your friends & family, or walk individually.
The event is a helpful resource fair, too, with vendor booths and more.
Even if you’ve never been personally affected by the tragedy of suicide, you can still help out these good people with a donation. Make your donation here.
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
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.
More than 500 heroes were assisted this weekend during the 37th Annual Stand Down event, organized by the Veterans Village of San Diego.
Unhoused and at-risk veterans, their families, and active-duty service members could receive all sorts of free assistance at Stand Down. The event this year was held at Liberty Station in Point Loma.
Free services were offered by a wide variety of organizations, including housing assistance, medical, dental and vision care, legal services, food and clothing, and educational workshops. There was plenty of love and support from San Diego’s military and civilian communities.
I wandered about the event, feeling inspired by all that I saw. Perhaps this blog post provides a little help in its own way.
If you happen to be a Veteran in need, first, thank you for your service. I deeply appreciate the liberty you have helped to defend.
I encourage people to check out the Veterans Village of San Diego website by clicking here. We all need a little help now and then. I know that from my own personal experience.
Veterans Village of San Diego supports America’s Veterans and their families in overcoming homelessness, addiction, unemployment, barriers to health and mental healthcare, and related challenges.
Their vision: A future where no one is left behind.
A smile at the Adjoin Veterans table in the above photograph. Adjoin has a housing-first strategy that secures permanent housing for every Veteran family they proudly serve.
Another smile at the San Diego Rescue Mission table. They provide meals, shelter, clothing, education and job-skills training for men, women, and single parents with children experiencing homelessness.
And here we have three smiles! Reading Legacies, located in San Diego, teaches families the importance of reading with children.
I’m fortunate to be fairly healthy and active. I know that if I couldn’t enjoy my sunshine-filled walks, meeting friends–if I had severe mobility difficulties–I would become seriously depressed. That’s the way I’m made.
Knowing this, I was excited to learn about AbleGamers today at San Diego Comic-Con. AbleGamers is an organization that fights social isolation by making it easier for the disabled to participate in gaming. Here’s their website.
AbleGamers has been around for around 20 years. They have helped countless numbers of people find more joy and connection in their lives.
Their mission:
Creating opportunities that enable play in order to combat social isolation, foster inclusive communities, and improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.
With your help, we are working every day to make sure people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else for positive experiences through play. With our two decades as pioneers in inclusive play, thousands of hours working with people with disabilities, leading developers and engineers we create opportunities for players to find inclusive places to play and connect with family and friends.
AbleGamers partners with various organizations, including hospitals and rehabilitation centers, to reach more people with disabilities and provide them with a nearby location to assist in setup to enter the world of gaming.
No matter how severe the disability, today’s technology allows anyone to fully connect with other gamers. Gaming controls are made in such a way that even those without use of their hands can join the online community, having fun. Many of the major video game developers work with AbleGamers to make play more accessible.
I hope you are as inspired as I am. Please check out The AbleGamers website and perhaps help these good people in their mission.
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If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!
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.
Costumed dog superheroes converged on San Diego’s Balboa Park today in order to perform feats of heroism at PAWmicon!
With the assistance of kind-hearted humans (some of whom also wore costumes) the cosplay canines helped to raise money and awareness for the Helen Woodward Animal Center, a nationally known animal shelter here in San Diego!
While PAWmicon isn’t associated with Comic-Con, it usually takes place around the week of San Diego’s big international pop culture event.
If you’re so inclined, would you help the Helen Woodward Animal Center by visiting their website here?
You, too, could be a superhero! Loving shelter animals are waiting for you to come to their rescue!
Would this four-footed Wonder Woman win the canine cosplay contest?
Princess Leia (aka Jessica Gercke) is a Helen Woodward Animal Center superstar who has helped saved countless animals. Perhaps you’ve seen her on San Diego television. I looked for Luke and Han but they must have been in a galaxy far away.
Another great dog/human cosplay combo! The Queen of Hearts!
Pikachu joined by two happy Pokémon pups.
Captain America was on hand! Check out his The Rise of Tiny Heroes comic here!
Krypto the Superdog has arrived to save the day! (Can Supergirl be far behind?)
I spun Mario’s wheel and got 2 of 3 pop culture questions correct! The difficult category stumped me.
It’s another four-legged Wonder Woman! Has she entangled a nearby villain with her Lasso of Truth?
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If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!
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.
Those who give blood at this year’s Comic-Con blood drive get a special added inducement. You’ll get to meet a bunch of super cool cosplayers!
Costumed members of the San Diego Causeplayer Community will be on hand at the 49th Robert A. Heinlein Blood Drive, San Diego Blood Bank’s largest and longest-running blood drive. (With all that blood sucking action, I wonder whether Blade or Dracula will be there?) Donors will also receive a free Fantastic Four T-shirt from Marvel Studios and other goodies!
If you’re interested in donating blood this year, head down to Grand Hall A at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel during San Diego Comic-Con. Better yet, follow this link to make an appointment.
Look who I saw today in Gaslamp Square! Dude Vader and several of his cosplaying friends!
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If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!
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.
The 2025 San Diego County Fair has a theme that’s close to the heart. It’s all about beloved pets.
Not surprisingly, a variety of non-profit organizations centered around animals are present at the big summer event in Del Mar. I stumbled upon several of these organizations. I’d like to draw your attention to what good people (and animals) are doing in their community.
The above dog and the next photograph represent an organization in Baja California, Mexico. La Manada Feliz rescues animals and provides them with a better life with loving people. Here’s their website.
La Manada Feliz operates a cage-free sanctuary where rescued dogs can receive medical care, learn social skills and heal. Their website says: Help us achieve our mission by adopting, supporting as a guardian and/or volunteering at our dog sanctuary in Valle de Guadalupe.
Next up, San Diego Spaniel Rescue does exactly what its name says. They are an all volunteer based non-profit organization dedicated to providing breed education, rescue, fostering, medical and adoption services for abused, abandoned and/or homeless Cocker Spaniels.
If you’d like to help them or would like to adopt a rescued spaniel, you can go to their website here.
More good work and smiles can be found at Pug Rescue San Diego County.
Here’s their website. Pug Rescue of San Diego County (PRSDC) is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to rescuing unwanted, neglected, abandoned, and relinquished Pugs and placing them into a new permanent home where they may live out their lives in a loving and caring environment.
Check out the friendly dogs in my next photo! They are part of Pawsitive Teams!
Pawsitive Teams was founded in 1997 with a desire to be a volunteer-inspired and volunteer-run organization designed to promote the use of well-trained dogs to improve the lives of San Diegans. Our volunteer service dog trainers spend two years with their canine charges prior to placement with individuals with limited mobility who can benefit from the skills of our specially trained dogs. Our therapy dog program is overseen by a steering committee of volunteers dedicated to using therapy dogs with a variety of populations such as at-risk teens, active-duty military, children testifying in court, and those with mobility or developmental disabilities. Our mission with the therapy dogs is to partner with community organizations and work together with professionals in accomplishing client-related goals.
To learn more, check out the Pawsitive Teams website by clicking here.
Need I say the San Diego Humane Society does many wonderful things for animals in our community? They were at the San Diego County Fair, too, encouraging people to adopt a loving pet. Not just dogs!
Find your fur-ever friend today!
There are many ways that you can help their good work. Here’s their website.
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
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.
Will you join these smiling young ladies and help the Santee Food Bank?
During my visit to the Santee Street Fair today, I learned that the Santee Food Bank could use your assistance fighting hunger. They’d love to welcome new volunteers, contributions of food, and reusable plastic bags that can be filled with food for distribution in the Santee community.
If you have it in your heart, please visit the Santee Food Bank website by clicking here.
Life is tough enough. Imagine going to bed hungry.
Your contributions–even modest ones–directly help people. Those people might be your neighbors.
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
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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