Fund-raising efforts have begun for the annual AIDS Walk San Diego, which will be held Sept. 30. This year’s walk is one week earlier than the traditional first Sunday in October. More than 90 teams have been formed, and a number of individual walkers/fund-raisers have launched efforts to collect donations for the event, which raises money for local HIV/AIDS service agencies. Pre-walk fund-raisers have been planned, including “One World Dinner and Drag Show” at Lips on Sunday, Aug. 26, at 7:30 p.m. This show will include drag performances and dinner. Tickets are available online now at www.aicdi.us. More information about AIDS Walk San Diego and walk registration is available online at www.aidswalk.org.

On Saturday, Sept. 29, hundreds of participants will walk at Lake Murray for the first annual Walk Their Walk 12-mile walk-a-thon. Walk Their Walk is an opportunity for residents to make a difference in the global community by participating in a call to action for social justice. Walk their Walk volunteer organizers partnered with World Vision to start a grassroots non-profit walk-a-thon to raise money for children living in Zambia, Africa. The children in Zambia are estimated to be orphaned at the rate of one every 14 seconds as a result of HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty. The walk-a-thon represents the 12-mile walk that children in Zambia endure daily for things we often take for granted. The event’s goal is to raise needed funds to make schools and fresh water accessible for all children living in Zambia.

Walk Their Walk walk-a-thon will begin at 7:45 a.m. Participant check-in will begin at 7 and organized stretching activities will begin at 7:15. Participants will enjoy live entertainment and festivities before and after the walk. Registration is free. For more information about Walk Their Walk walk-a-thon, visit www.walktheirwalk.com or contact Kathryn Leeke at 619-300-9924.

Volunteer San Diego, along with thousands of fellow volunteers, is gearing up for the annual Hands On San Diego event. The purpose of the weeklong community service event, held Sept. 22-30, is to empower individuals to make their communities stronger. Participants are encouraged to select from one of the more than 100 community service projects identified on Volunteer San Diego’s Web site. The types of projects available include helping children learn to read, meal delivery to homebound senior citizens, planting a community garden, food/clothing collection drives, and community beautification projects such as mural painting and beach cleanups. Volunteers of all ages and abilities are welcome.

Interested volunteers should visit www.volunteersandiego.org to register and select a project. Questions may be directed to hosd@volunteersandiego.org or 858-636-4131.

CityFest in Hillcrest is the biggest street party in the county and the largest arts and crafts event in the state of California. The 24th annual event, taking place Sunday, Aug. 12, will transform Fifth Avenue, from University Avenue to Upas Street, into a big party complete with entertainment on two stages and more than 250 booths with food, arts and crafts vendors, psychic readings and more. This year’s event will also feature premium beer from nine local micro-breweries, affiliated with the San Diego Brewer’s guild, in the beer gardens. More than 100,000 people are expected to visit Fifth Avenue for the one-day block party.

CityFest began in 1983 when Hillcrest community leaders wanted to restore the dilapidated Hillcrest sign, which hangs over University Avenue at Fifth Avenue. Residents gathered $4,000 to restore the landmark, which is now supported by two 55-foot steel poles. The sign, as we see it today, was replaced on Aug. 18, 1984. The first CityFest was a celebration of the re-lighting of the sign, which had been dark for a number of years. The CityFest name was coined in 1985. More information about CityFest is available online at www.hillcrestassociation.com.

More than 150,000 children in San Diego currently live without health insurance. Family Health Centers of San Diego (FHCSD) is currently working to complete the expansion of its Logan Heights Family Health Center, which provides health care services to thousands of local uninsured children. Funding is needed to help complete this expansion, and the San Diego Padres and the Moores family have issued a community challenge. Through the 2007 Padres’ Challenge, the San Diego Padres will match individual contributions dollar-for-dollar.

Family Health Centers of San Diego Day at the Padres has been set for Aug. 19. Supporters are able to contribute in a variety of ways, through cash donations, purchasing a scoreboard message or buying tickets to the Aug. 19 game. Cash donations are tax deductible and can be made on FHCSD’s Web site. Scoreboard messages will be posted on the Petco Park Out-of-Town scoreboard and may be up to 10 words. Personal messages, business advertisements or a statement of support for FHCSD may be posted. Game-day tickets are also available, and the Padres will donate $2.50 to FHSCD for each ticket sold. The 1:05 p.m. game will be against the Houston Astros, and free Padres baseball cap-shaped backpacks will be handed out to children 14 and younger. To purchase tickets or make a donation, visit FHCSD’s Web site at www.fhcsd.org/donations.html.

The Stonewall Young Democrats of San Diego, a group of gay-friendly people younger than 36, are dedicated to progressive liberal values, advocacy of political candidates and issues, and inspiring political action in people of all ages. In order to keep the Pride weekend momentum high, the group is planning an event called “Still Proud” for Wednesday, Aug. 8. The event will take place at Trolley Barn Park in University Heights from 6-8:30 p.m.

The event is being organized as a first annual membership drive for the organization. The event’s goal is to build the membership of the Stonewall Young Democrats of San Diego club. Organizers hope to sign up new paid members, as well as spread the word about the organization and its goals. They also hope to continue to build name recognition for the fairly new organization.

The event is free, and will include food and drinks, an icebreaker activity, information tables, raffle prizes and speakers. Confirmed speakers include Tim Steed of the California Young Democrats; Stephen Whitburn, candidate for San Diego City Council District 3; Brandon Tate, president of the Stonewall Young Democrats of San Diego; and City Councilmember Toni Atkins.

Trolley Barn Park is located on Adams Avenue, one block east of Park Boulevard in University Heights. For more information, contact Brandon Tate at 619-840-5613.

The Hillcrest Centennial Celebration is in full swing. Thursday, Aug. 2, is Hillcrest’s official 100th birthday, and cake will be served at noon at the corner of Fifth and University avenues. Later that day, a free community barbecue social will be held at the Joyce Beers Uptown Community Center at 5 p.m.

To continue the celebration, a free centennial movie will be shown under the stars at the top of the Whole Foods parking structure on University Avenue. Also, 5 percent of all purchases at Whole Foods that night will be donated to the Hillcrest History Guild. A number of events are scheduled to commemorate Hillcrest’s centennial. Visit www.hillcrestcentennial.com for more information.

The South Bay’s fourth annual “mini Pride event,” Gay Day in South Bay, is returning to Chula Vista on Sunday, Aug. 19, from noon to 3 p.m. While the belief often is that few gays live in the southern portion of San Diego County, organizers of the event estimate that South Bay has at least 17,000 GLBT residents. The event is to give GLBT and GLBT-friendly residents of the South Bay a day to come together and get to know each other in a friendly, safe environment.

The free event will include information, business and food vendors, face painting, entertainment by Justa Clown, dancing by Allondras and other attractions. Vendor booths are still available for businesses. Contact Marci Bair at marci@Bairfinancial.com for more information.

This year’s event will take place in the new Heritage Park in the Otay Ranch area of Chula Vista, located at 1380 East Palomar St. More information about the event is available online at www.southbayalliance.net.

San Diego County’s largest volunteer event will return on Saturday, Sept. 15, from 9 a.m. to noon.

San Diego Coastkeeper and I Love A Clean San Diego are hosting the 23rd Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day. Participants will get to play a role in keeping the ocean, coastlines and waterways clean and free of debris.

California Coastal Cleanup Day is a major part of an international cleanup program that includes all 50 states and almost 100 countries, making it one of the world’s largest volunteer events.

Last year, 5,850 volunteers participated in the cleanup at 63 coastal and inland sites, removing 196,966 pounds of trash and recyclables from San Diego County and Baja California beaches. This event is a great way for the community to help restore our beaches and waterways, and learn how individual action can make a tremendous difference to our natural resources.

There are more than 60 sites throughout the county that will be cleaned and need volunteers. Site captain positions are also available. Visit www.cleanupday.org for more information and to register to volunteer.