Tag: charity

Help others! Join virtual Red Shoe Day online!

The 11th Annual Red Shoe Day is almost here! But this year it will be different. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the gathering of donations for Ronald McDonald House in San Diego will be entirely online!

Instead of plunking your spare change into a big red Ronald McDonald shoe held by a volunteer at a busy intersection, there’s going to be a virtual Red Shoe Day on June 4, 2020 that everyone can safely take part in and share online with others!

Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego, according to their mission statement: provides a “home-away-from-home” for families with children being treated for serious, often life-threatening conditions at local hospitals.

Put yourself in the shoes of a family with a seriously ill child and imagine how important this would be. You could spend much more time with your child as they undergo super scary medical treatment at a big, scary hospital. Read more about what Ronald McDonald House Charities does here.

And here is what you can do!

Click here and join this year’s virtual Red Shoe Day!

Recruit friends, coworkers and family members! Form a winning team!

Look at all the smiling volunteers I photographed in past years, before the coronavirus pandemic…

Click here to join Red Shoe Day and make a huge difference in people’s lives!

You’ll feel good, too!

Help zoos, aquariums during the pandemic!

Rex the Lion, inspiration for the San Diego Zoo's creation, now lives eternally in Balboa Park!

Zoos and aquariums rely on visitors for most of their revenue. The coronavirus pandemic has closed their doors, but the animals still need care. They need to eat!

I just learned that someone is now walking from the LA Zoo to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park to raise funds to help out zoos and aquariums!

Dr. Monica Metzdorf, who loves animals, is approaching the Safari Park as I write this blog!

Help her raise funds for the animals! Proceeds will go to the LA Zoo, the Aquarium of the Pacific, and the San Diego Zoo, to purchase food for the fish and animals.

Go to her website and look for the PayPal link! Spread the word!

How to support the museums of Balboa Park.

This group wanted to see fine art so they headed into the San Diego Museum of Art.

Do you love Balboa Park?

One big reason the park is so wonderful is its many diverse museums. World-class museums. Museums that enhance the culture of our city and document the life of this planet. Museums that educate, entertain, highlight beauty and provide inspiration. Museums that bring our community together.

But these nonprofit institutions are always in need of public support. Especially during the present coronavirus pandemic, when Balboa Park is closed to all visitors. Today many of these beloved museums really need your help.

Would you like to make a donation to one or more of the museums of Balboa Park, or perhaps find another way to give them a helping hand?

I’ve visited each museum’s website and created the following list of links. These links will take you to web pages that explain how you can provide each museum with support.

Every little bit helps in this difficult time!

Visitors walk up the front steps of the Veterans Museum and Memorial Center in Balboa Park.

Here come the links where you can provide help…

Museum of Photographic Arts

San Diego Art Institute

San Diego Automotive Museum

Fleet Science Center

Japanese Friendship Garden

San Diego Air and Space Museum

Centro Cultural de la Raza

Marston House

Visitors to the Japanese Friendship Garden gaze at Kannon Bosatsu, a nearly three century old 5750 pound bronze statue recently installed in the Lower Garden by crane!

WorldBeat Center

Timken Museum of Art

Mingei International Museum

Veterans Museum at Balboa Park

The San Diego Museum of Art

San Diego Model Railroad Museum

San Diego History Center

San Diego Museum of Man

San Diego Natural History Museum

Inside one of the galleries. The small fine art museum is free to the public and a popular destination in Balboa Park.

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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 Twitter!

Cool photo memories from May 2015.

Well, May is here already. Hard to believe. The coronavirus pandemic continues, as do the government mandated lockdowns, which makes it difficult for a photo blogger who explores the city to find fresh material. Nearly all events are cancelled, many places are closed.

So what is one to do? I thought now would be a good time to once again go back five years!

What was happening on Cool San Diego Sights back in May 2015? Lot’s of amazing stuff! One thing you might notice is that Balboa Park’s big year-long Centennial Celebration was underway!

Click the following links to enjoy lots of photos…

Art made of coins helps Rady Children’s Hospital!

Photos of Old Town’s folklorico dance competition!

Pics of Garden Party of the Century in Balboa Park!

Fun sculptures debut at San Diego waterfront park!

Crossing the cool Spruce Street Suspension Bridge.

Fun photos of Explore Mission Trails Day!

Cool Corvette car show benefits San Diego USO.

An amazing walk from Point La Jolla to Cuvier Park.

World War II vets honored on USS Midway.

San Diego walking superheroes fight brain tumors!

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To enjoy future posts, you can also “like” Cool San Diego Sights on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

How to help local artists during the pandemic.

Many neighbors are being damaged financially by the coronavirus pandemic. Many have lost jobs or work reduced hours. Many don’t know how they’ll continue to cope with everyday expenses. Many worthy organizations are also suffering. The future for all remains uncertain.

In San Diego County, artists and organizations that rely on income produced by their creativity have been hit very hard. The San Diego Arts + Culture Challenge Fund exists to provide a lifeline for these people.

According to The San Diego Foundation donation page, which raises funds to help those caught in these circumstances: “Undertaken as a collaborative effort to support San Diego’s creative sector, the Fund is being launched by a cohort of local leaders and advocates committed to the health and recovery of the sector, including The San Diego Foundation, Clare Rose Foundation, San Diego Regional Arts and Culture Coalition, and the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture.”

Please visit the donation page here to learn how you can help.

How you can help artists who are homeless.

Do you love art?

Would you like to help people who find themselves homeless?

Every work of art you see was made by a unique someone who is homeless in San Diego. They are all hopeful people who’ve been provided a creative outlet and opportunity to make a little bit of income by the nonprofit organization HEAL. Right now many of their canvases are on display at the San Diego Central Library. That’s where I took these few photographs.

What you see is just some of the original artwork that you can buy. With their painted canvases, homeless artists earn money. All of these pieces tell a story from the perspective of a unique human being. See all of the artwork that is for sale by those who want a brighter future by clicking here.

According to the HEAL website:

HEAL-SD (Homeless Empowerment through Art and Leadership) is a nonprofit that provides opportunities for creative self-expression and personal growth for individuals experiencing homelessness in San Diego…

Art sales give the artists the ability to earn an income through their hard work, as well as helping to confirm their talent, self-worth, and ability to contribute to their community in a meaningful way.

To view the many works of art that are for sale, click here. Then please make sure to share that page so many others will see it.

Should you purchase a piece, your life will be enriched, too.

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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 Twitter!

Are you a blogger? Do you want to help make the world a better place? You might want to join Bloggers Lifting Others Generously.

The holiday season is coming downtown!

Holiday season decorations now line the streets of Little Italy.
Many festive holiday season decorations now line the streets of Little Italy.

It’s the week of Thanksgiving. Winter is coming.

I enjoyed a long walk this morning, knowing that a big storm is headed our way. The next couple days will be wet!

What did I see?

Signs of the coming holiday season are popping up all around downtown San Diego!

The City Ballet will perform The Nutcracker at the Spreckels Theatre.
The City Ballet will perform The Nutcracker this year at the Spreckels Theatre.
A nutcracker guards the lobby of the Westgate Hotel.
A nutcracker guards the lobby of the Westgate Hotel.
Beautiful holiday gifts are beginning to appear in some downtown shop windows.
Beautiful holiday gifts are beginning to appear in some downtown shop windows.
One of several elegant Christmas trees in the lobby of The Sofia Hotel.
One of several elegant Christmas trees now in the lobby of The Sofia Hotel.
The Salvation Army will be serving Thanksgiving dinner to the less fortunate again at Golden Hall.
The Salvation Army will be serving Thanksgiving dinner to the less fortunate again at Golden Hall.
Buon Natale!
Buon Natale!

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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 Twitter!

Hit a home run to end homelessness!

Come down to Lane Field Park at the corner of Broadway and Harbor Drive this Saturday and take part in something special!

The InterContinental Hotel, celebrating its first anniversary in downtown San Diego, is hosting a cool event that raises money for Alpha Project, which is working to help end homelessness. Hit a “home run” at Lane Field Park (site of the original home of the Padres) and run the bases for a very good cause!

You can buy tickets here.

Read the above sign which I spotted this morning for details! (Click the photo and it will enlarge.)

Have fun on Mission Bay for a good cause!

Today I learned that Susan G. Komen’s 19th Annual Row for the Cure is coming up on Sunday, October 27, 2019!

I can affirm after watching the Row for the Cure out on Mission Bay last year that this event is definitely fun! And money raised is used to fight breast cancer!

Any and all are welcome to participate. There are a variety of activities that you can enjoy, including kayaking and stand up paddleboarding. Or simply hang out on the grass or the sand and watch!

Learn the details by visiting the Susan G. Komen website here!

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Are you a blogger? Do you want to help make the world a better place? You might want to join Bloggers Lifting Others Generously.

Dogs enjoy a harbor cruise on San Diego Bay!

A dog and two friends enjoy Pet Day on the Bay aboard the Adventure Hornblower.
A dog and two friends enjoy Pet Day on the Bay aboard the Adventure Hornblower.

This morning I went on a fun harbor tour–with dozens of tail-wagging dogs!

Hornblower Cruises and Events was having their annual Pet Day on the Bay, which benefits the Helen Woodward Animal Center!

This year the Pet Day on the Bay’s costume theme was mermaids and pirates. In addition to lots of cool sights, I photographed four-legged passengers dressed for the occasion!

Any dog owner who would like to have a memorable experience with their pet should go on one of these unique cruises. The Hornblower ship is equipped with everything a canine or human could desire, including drinks and snacks and a live narration describing all that you see during the one hour harbor tour. A couple of pet experts were also aboard offering lots of helpful advise.

I could tell the dogs were enjoying themselves. A bunch of their human companions were smiling, too!

People wait in line for the first of four very unique harbor tours. It's the annual Pet Day on the Bay!
People wait in line for the first of four special harbor tours. It’s the annual Pet Day on the Bay!
These furry passengers meet each other before boarding for a cruise on San Diego Bay.
Furry passengers meet each other before enjoying a cruise on San Diego Bay.
The theme this year for Pet Day on the Bay was mermaids and pirates. Looks like a mermaid to me!
The theme this year for Pet Day on the Bay was mermaids and pirates. Looks like a mermaid to me!
All sorts of local celebrities joined us on the fun cruise. That's Dave Scott of KUSI News!
All sorts of local celebrities joined us on the fun cruise. That’s Dave Scott of KUSI News!
We're at the foot of Hornblower's pier, almost time to board the ship.
We’re at the foot of Hornblower’s pier, almost time to board the ship.
Here comes a pair of colorful pirates!
Here come some colorful pirates!
I'm greeted with a big smile. I see another celebrity! It's world-famous Chopper, San Diego's motorcycle riding therapy dog!
I’m greeted with a big smile. I see another celebrity! It’s world-famous Chopper, San Diego’s motorcycle riding therapy dog!
Helen Woodward Animal Center was there, too, with a lot of love and some puppies to adopt.
Helen Woodward Animal Center was there, too, with licks of love and some puppies to adopt.
Mary Read hangs out with a tail-wagging friend, waiting for a forever home.
Mary Read hangs out with a tail-wagging friend, waiting for a forever home.
Open up your home--save a life. Foster homes are urgently needed for canines and felines. The Helen Woodward Animal Center with your help saves thousands of precious lives. Please visit animalcenter.org
Open up your home–save a life. Foster homes are urgently needed for canines and felines. With your help, the Helen Woodward Animal Center saves thousands of precious lives. Please visit AnimalCenter.org
Heading along the Grape Street Pier, about to board the Adventure Hornblower for a one hour harbor tour!
Heading along the Grape Street Pier, about to board the Adventure Hornblower for a one hour harbor tour!
Some of the passengers have a pre-boarding meet and greet.
Some of the passengers have a pre-boarding meet and greet.
Photos are taken for Pet Day on the Bay.
Photos are taken for Hornblower Cruises’ Pet Day on the Bay.
A friendly greeting by the ship's captain!
A friendly greeting by the ship’s captain!
Doggie bags with lots of cool stuff from Petco were handed out to those participating in Pet Day on the Bay.
Doggie bags with lots of cool stuff from Petco were handed out to those participating in Pet Day on the Bay.
Up some steps onto the upper deck...
Up some steps onto the upper deck…
Some dog-friendly turf and great views await the pooch passengers.
Some dog-friendly turf and great views await the pooch passengers.
New friends are made on deck, as we await our departure.
New friends are made on deck, as we await our departure.
Is this sailor one of the crew?
Is this sailor one of the crew?
As we waited to begin our cruise, the Admiral Hornblower left the dock and headed out onto the bay.
As we waited to begin our cruise, the nearby Admiral Hornblower headed out onto the bay.
Sunshine breaking through the morning clouds turns the Admiral Hornblower bright white.
Sunshine breaking through the morning clouds turns the Admiral Hornblower bright white.
Here we go! We leave downtown San Diego behind.
Here we go! We leave downtown San Diego behind.
We head out toward the entrance to San Diego Bay, with views of Point Loma, North Island and the distant Coronado Islands.
We head out toward the entrance of San Diego Bay, with views of Point Loma, North Island and the distant Coronado Islands.
Some people rowing outrigger canoes flew past us on the calm water of San Diego Bay.
Some people rowing outrigger canoes flew past us on the calm water of San Diego Bay.
Approaching the live bait dock, where sportfishing boats stop before heading out into the Pacific Ocean.
Approaching the live bait dock, where sportfishing boats stop before heading out into the Pacific Ocean.
Sea lions lounge on the floating dock along with a motley group of sea birds.
Sea lions lounge on the floating dock along with a motley group of sea birds.
A group of kayakers were passing Naval Base Point Loma, not far from four nuclear submarines.
A group of kayakers was passing Naval Base Point Loma, not far from four nuclear submarines.
The dogs enjoy the amazing views just as much as the humans.
The dogs enjoy the amazing views just as much as the humans.
All sorts of characters are hanging out on the ship's deck.
All sorts of characters are hanging out on the ship’s deck.
There seem to be happy dogs everywhere!
There seem to be happy dogs everywhere!
As we headed back toward the Embarcadero, I poked my head inside the ship to see some displays, including one presented by Petco. They also provided doggie treats.
As we headed back toward the Embarcadero, I poked my head inside the ship to check out some displays, including this one presented by Petco, who also provided doggie treats.
The Petco Foundation is helping to save the lives of animals. Learn how you can put your love for animals into action at PetcoFoundation.org
The Petco Foundation is helping to save the lives of animals. Learn how you can put your love for animals into action at PetcoFoundation.org
The billowing Hornblower flag and the approaching San Diego skyline.
The billowing Hornblower flag and the approaching San Diego skyline.
As we approach the dock, a dog supervises the maneuvering of the ship.
As we come beside the dock, a dog carefully supervises the maneuvering of the ship.
Passengers disem-bark after a wonderful one hour cruise.
Passengers disem-bark after a wonderful one hour cruise!
Pet Day on the Bay is a great annual event for those with two or four legs!
Pet Day on the Bay is a great annual event for those with two or four legs!

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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 Twitter!

You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!