The Gift of Giving

Inside

IT IS THE SEASON, AFTER ALL— a time for giving and a time for giving back. And so it’s fitting that two of our features this month pay tribute to San Diegans who make it a habit to give of themselves.

Earlier this year — in “Who You Gonna Call?” — we took a hard look at San Diego’s movers and doers, the so-called power brokers who have a track record of getting the job done for the betterment of San Diego. For the most part, it was a graying group. And some folks wondered aloud who might be waiting in the wings to succeed them. This month, in “The Powers to Be,” we’ve attempted to answer that question, as Kelly Thornton profiles more than 30 young civic dynamos likely to make the cut as the next generation of power brokers.

In “The Munificent Seven,” meanwhile, associate editor Julia Beeson Polloreno takes a look at seven high-profile San Diego philanthropists whose spirit of giving doesn’t end with the holiday season. From actress/author Danica McKellar to Switchfoot lead singer Jon Foreman to Chargers placekicker Nate Kaeding, we find out what they give, who they give to and why.

Also this month, check out San Diego At Home editor Rowena Kelley’s chronicle of dinner with a bunch of big, beefy Chargers players at the La Jolla home of Qualcomm president Steve Altman. Just more charity: To secure the dinner for 20, cooked by top chef Brian Malarkey, Altman contributed $10,000 to Charger Matt Wilhelm’s Tackle It Now Foundation. Take a look back as we give you our picks for the “Top 10 San Diego Stories of 2008” — from a certain city council candidate’s peculiar neighborhood pit stop to a drug bust that went bust at San Diego State University to a rare shark attack along our coastline. And turn to Jorge Cruise’s Staying Fit column for the perfect antidote to holiday stuffing.

Our San Diego Magazine stocking is stuffed with gifts of good reading this month. Get your fill.

Tom Blair

Editor in Chief

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