December Nights is a beloved holiday tradition in San Diego that goes back decades. This weekend, Balboa Park will once again transform into a winter wonderland, welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors eager to enjoy the holiday festivities. This year, we are teaming up with the City of San Diego to bring back a charitable element to one of our region's most popular holiday events. In the spirit of the season, we welcome you to join us for the 2nd Annual December Nights Sock Drive to benefit those in need.
Everyone is encouraged to bring holiday cheer along with a pair of new socks to donate this weekend. The sock drive will benefit unsheltered San Diegans who receive services from local nonprofit organizations, PATH San Diego and Dreams for Change. You can purchase socks ahead of time and drop them off at our SDG&E booth – just look for the all-electric SDG&E truck in the Plaza de Panama next to the House of Hospitality. Or, if you don’t have time to pick up socks before the event, you can purchase them at the Balboa Park Visitors Center.
As the cost of housing continues to outpace wage growth in San Diego, the number of people who are falling into homelessness continues to grow more rapidly. The December Nights Sock Drive was envisioned to give regular San Diegans a simple way to get involved and help. In fact, socks are among the most sought-after items at local shelters. A pair of socks may seem like a small thing but it’s an essential item that can really help provide comfort to those who have very little. We know that San Diegans have big hearts, and donating a pair of socks is a small gesture that can have a big impact. Last year at December Nights, we collected more than 2,000 pairs of socks and this year we hope to collect even more.
“This year, we are excited to continue a new tradition at December Nights that we launched last year; a sock drive benefiting unsheltered San Diegans. We encourage everyone going to December Nights to bring a pair of new socks to donate to our nonprofit partners, PATH San Diego and Dreams for Change. The sock drive, combined with charitable grants from SDG&E, will support these organizations in their efforts to shelter and provide comfort to unhoused San Diegans this holiday season," stated Kazeem Omidiji, our Director of Community Relations.
We hope to see you this weekend!