Unsung heroes of Comic-Con keep Downtown clean

The Downtown San Diego Partnership’s Clean & Safe team worked around-the-clock during the recent Comic-Con festivities to provide trash pick-up and safety patrols throughout the long weekend, according to a press release. Over 100 employees collected nearly 20 tons of trash and over 17,000 flyers during the three-day period. Additionally, trashcans in the Gaslamp Quarter were emptied 3,268 times, according to the release. The volume of trash was approximately three times the amount that Clean & Safe usually collects over a seven-day period on an average week. “Once again, our Clean & Safe team did an impeccable job to ensure the streets of Downtown were properly maintained and patrolled,” said Ryan Loofbourrow, executive director of the Clean & Safe program in the release. “They maneuvered through hundreds of thousands of Comic-Con attendees and spectators to pick up trash, stickers, and other debris left behind. Immediately following the festivities, the Gaslamp Quarter and the event areas were found immaculate and back to order.” The Clean & Safe program is a property and business improvement district that provides the Downtown area with social outreach and maintenance and safety patrols, offered 24 hours per day, seven days a week, supplementing services provided by the City of San Diego. For more information about Clean & Safe, visit www.downtownsandiego.org.

‘Art Walk on the Bay’ changes name, venue and dates

Mission Federal’s “Art Walk on the Bay,” which for the last seven years has been held in September on the grass straddling the Convention Center and the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, has found a new home. Now called “ArtWalk @NTC” the popular art and music festival has moved to Liberty Station and will take place August 24 and 25 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. A “sister” event to the annual Mission Federal ArtWalk held in Little Italy each spring, ArtWalk @NTC will remain free to all ages but promises “an even higher caliber of artists in a more intimate setting,” said a press release. Attendees can expect more than 100 local and internationally known visual artists, a dozen musicians performing more than16 hours of live music, and a variety of interactive art exhibitions all converging upon the new NTC Art & Culture district located at 2645 Historic Decatur Rd. at Liberty Station in Point Loma. KidsWalk will also return, as well as a large variety of unique cuisine and parking will also be free. For more information, visit artwalksandiego.com/ntc.

Support breast cancer research by dining out in August

San Diego’s first annual Dine Out for the Cure, which will benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure, launches on August 28 and 29. Participating restaurants from all over San Diego County will donate a percentage of their proceeds to support local breast health and cancer programs and research, according to a press release. Downtown restaurants participating in the benefit include Chaplos, Croce’s, Café 21, The Rooftop at W San Diego, and Isola Pizza Bar, among others. “With this event all we want is for you to have a nice meal and know that you are making a difference at the same time,” said Laura Sherman, executive director of Komen San Diego in the release. “With your help we can make a huge impact in someone’s life. The money raised from this event could mean saving a life.” For more information and a full list of participating restaurants, visit komensandiego.org.

Motorist aid program expands coverage

The San Diego Freeway Service Patrol (FSP) has expanded its operation throughout San Diego County. Working in conjunction with the freeway call box program, FSP uses 25 tow trucks and 13 pick-up trucks to provide stranded motorists with gas, a jump-start, radiator water, or a tire change while on patrol around the region. The SANDAG publicly funded service will now include midday hours in addition to its normal rush hour coverage, according to a press release. FSP’s extended hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in addition to rush hour coverage between 5:30 and 9:30 a.m. and 3 to 7 p.m., as long as funding remains available. Patrol coverage hours on the weekend remain the same, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. “The Freeway Service Patrol plays a critical role in congestion relief and traffic safety,” SANDAG Executive Director Gary Gallegos said in the release. “In the past year alone, the program assisted nearly 58,000 motorists, the vast majority of them during rush hour, when just one disabled vehicle can cause havoc for thousands of commuters.” The patrol covers approximately 242 miles of San Diego freeways and state routes, including the 5, 8, 15, 805, 52, 54, 56, 67, 78, 94, 125, 163 and 905. For more information, visit sandag.org.

Relay for Life to run through Downtown

The American Cancer Society’s 24-hour fundraiser for cancer research is returning to Downtown San Diego this month at the Seaport Village’s North Embarcadero, located at 849 West Harbor Dr. The annual event allows participants to celebrate their own survival, connect with others, honor those who are currently fighting the battle or have been lost, and at the same time, raise money to help fight the disease moving forward. Started in 1985 in Tacoma, Wash., Relay For Life is now a worldwide event happening in communities across the world. San Diego’s event will kick off on Aug. 17 with opening ceremonies at 9 a.m. which will be followed by a “survivor’s lap” at 9:30 a.m. The overnight community fundraising walk, which will end at 9 a.m. Aug. 18, will consist of various teams camping out next to the Relay For Life track whose members each take turns walking around the track during the 24-hour period. Food, games and activities will be provided for participants. A candlelit procession, called the “Luminaria Ceremony” at 8:30 p.m. will allow participants to honor loved ones who have lost their battle or are currently fighting the disease.  A previous Relay for Life was held in Coronado on July 13 and 14. For more information or to sign up, call 619-318-1330 or visit relayforlife.org and enter 92101.

Homeless outreach celebrates anniversary, achievement

The Campaign to End Homelessness in Downtown San Diego is celebrating their third anniversary, as well as their recent membership to the 2.5 Percent Club, according to a press release from the organization. The Campaign, which focuses on creating permanent housing and providing supportive services with the goal of ending homelessness Downtown, was recognized for their significant progress by the membership to 2.5 Percent Club. Part of the national 100,000 Homes Campaign, the 2.5 Percent Club is exclusive to high-performing organizations that are “on track to end homelessness,” according to the release. Most notably, The Campaign has been able to house an average of 2.5% of the homeless population for the last four months. “This is the difference between talking about ending homelessness and actually doing it,” Becky Kanis, 100,000 Homes Campaign Director said in the release. “We are thrilled to welcome San Diego into the 2.5 Percent Club as one of the highest performing communities participating in the 100,000 Homes Campaign, and we’re counting on their leadership and expertise to help more communities make it in.” For more information about The Campaign to End Homelessness in Downtown San Diego, visit endingsdhomelessness.org.