Olé is the 2003 San Diego Equality Awards Celebration. Come out and celebrate a year of historic human rights victories for the GLBT Community and honor its supporters in a fun-filled evening of food, drink, and entertainment. Olé will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at Casa Del Prado in Balboa Park from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. A silent auction will benefit American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER). General admission is $75. For sponsorship or event information, call Ron at (619) 283-3190.

Since 1977, the American Cancer Society and Citizens for a Smoke-free America have sponsored the Great American Smokeout ?, an event based on the idea that smokers who can manage to quit for a day can quit for good. In support of this effort, Pacific College of Oriental Medicine’s community clinic is offering one free acupuncture treatment to new patients who want to kick the habit throughout the month of November.

The Pacific College Clinic utilizes auricular (ear) acupuncture, where four to five very small needles are inserted into points corresponding to the lung, kidney and nervous system. It is thought that these needles increase the flow of endorphins, morphine-like hormones that induce a deep state of relaxation. This state is prolonged and leads to a lessening of cravings for nicotine and other drugs.

Millions of Americans will stub out their cigarettes on Nov. 20. For individuals truly motivated to stop smoking, acupuncture can be just the help they need. Join Pacific College and make the Great American Smokeout the first day of your smoke-free life. For more information or to make an appointment, call (619) 574-6932.

The San Diego County Water Authority and local water agencies offer customers the opportunity to save water and money through the installation of high-efficiency clothes washers (HEWs). Water-saving incentives are abundant for qualifying customers. A voucher will save you $125 on the purchase price of a qualifying washer. For information on HEW vouchers, San Diego County property owners should call (800) 986-4538. The San Diego County Water Authority, its participating member agencies and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California sponsor the voucher incentive programs.

Enjoy an enchanted evening benefiting the San Diego Foundation for Change James Mitsuo Cua Fund for Gay and Lesbian Rights on Saturday, Oct. 25, from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. Hors d’oeuvres and desserts will be served and guests are encouraged to come in costume (no stiletto heels, please). The festivities will include a “celebrity” judged costume contest with cash prizes awarded in categories including Queerest, Best Impersonation, Best Representation of a Theme and Most Creative/Original. There will also be a silent auction and dancing, or take a look into the future with one of the psychic readers who will be in attendance. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. For tickets or more information, call (619) 692-0527.

San Diego independent record company Say It Records, in conjunction with KPRI and Kenny Weissberg’s Music Without Boundaries, proudly presents Indie By Design, an evening with several independent-minded musicians who are making music on their own terms. The evening will feature the award-winning Danielle LoPresti and The Masses, Berkley Hart, The Cat Mary, Danny Peck, Bridget Brigitte and Julie Marie & Makeda.

This outstanding night of independent music will be taking place on Friday, Nov. 14, at Dizzy’s downtown, starting at 7:30 p.m. This will be the seventh installment of Indie By Design, a showcase put on in San Diego as well as in L.A., created by Danielle LoPresti and Kelly Bowen of Say It Records.

Join the gathering of gay and lesbian theater lovers for Out at the Globe on Thursday, Oct. 23. Starting at 6:00 p.m., there will be a pre-show party on The Old Globe plaza with complimentary food and drink, followed by the play Rough Crossing at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are just $20 per person. Set in the 1930s on an ocean liner sailing across the Atlantic, Tom Stoppard’s hilarious adaptation of Ferenc Molnar’s Play at the Castle tells the story of a musical-comedy writing team and their young, speech-impaired composer, who are on deadline to complete their new piece during their four-day crossing. Their cast — a haughty leading lady and her vain leading man, along with a peripatetic ship steward — aren’t helping matters, and it’s questionable whether the “show will go on” as they rehearse amid mishaps and misunderstandings — and very stormy seas.

Call (619) 234-5623 for tickets or more information.

To celebrate, the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA will be hosting special events all month long. Throughout the month of October, anyone adopting a dog from any local animal welfare organization will be eligible to receive $5 off a training class at the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA. To cap off the month long celebration, on Oct. 31 the San Diego Campus for Animal Care will host “Click-er-Treat! Doggie Café” a Halloween party and costume contest for dogs that will also feature a clicker training demonstration. A $10 donation is suggested. For more information or to register, call (619) 299-7012.

The University of California San Diego cordially invites all alumni to attend the annual UCSD LGBT alumni champagne brunch on Saturday, Oct. 25. The event will recognize the history of LGBT scholarships at UCSD and will be an opportunity for alumni and current students to meet and interact. The event will be held at the UCSD LGBT Resource Center, which is located on the campus in the University Center, Bldg. 312. Call (858) 822-3493 for more information.

Nina Revoyr, author of Southland, is one of the freshest young voices in American fiction. Southland is nominated for an LA Times Book Prize, an ALA Stonewall Book Award, and was selected as a Book Sense 76 pick. In Southland, Revoyr (The Necessary Hunger) returns to the gritty, central Los Angeles of her debut with a compelling tale of a headstrong Japanese-American lesbian law student obsessed with discovering her family history and solving a murder mystery. Revoyr’s only San Diego reading will be on Sat., Oct. 25, at 7:30 p.m. at Current Affairs Bookstore, 2536 University Ave. For more information, call (619) 795-9899.

During October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and throughout the year, the American Cancer Society staff and volunteers suggest that women tell their friends and family the following five important facts about breast cancer: All women are at risk for breast cancer, even those who have no family history of the disease. The two greatest risk factors for breast cancer are being a woman and growing older. Survival rates are high for women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer, when the cancer is small and has not spread. Get annual mammograms beginning at age 40, and start regular breast exams by your doctor by 20 years of age. Smart strategies to reduce your risk of all kinds of cancer include regular physical activity, maintaining an appropriate weight for height, and limiting alcohol intake. Through early detection and improved treatment, more women than ever are beating breast cancer.

If you or someone you know has been touched by breast cancer, contact the American Cancer Society any time, day or night, for information or support at (800) ACS-2345. To celebrate survivorship or honor those who have been lost to the disease, join other walkers at the fifth annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, Sunday, Oct. 19, in Balboa Park. For more information, to register or to make a donation, call the local ACS office at (619) 682-7445 or visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com for a link to their web site.