The Nice Guys of San Diego held their 45th Annual “Nice Guy of the Year” Gala on Saturday, October 18, 2025 at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina. The evening began with a hosted reception at 6:00 p.m., followed by dinner and program at 7:00 p.m.

That evening the organization honoured Vincent J. Bartolotta Jr. (sometimes styled “Vince Bartolotta”), who was named the 2025 Nice Guy of the Year. 
A U.S. Marine Corps veteran originally from Monongahela, Pennsylvania, Bartolotta has a long record of service: he served as past president of Rancho Santa Fe Youth, was Chairman of the Board of the St. Vincent de Paul Village (providing vital support for people experiencing homelessness), and has been a board member and past president of the Nice Guys of San Diego

At the gala, his decades‐long commitment to helping individuals and families in San Diego who “fell through the cracks” was celebrated. His selection as Nice Guy of the Year reflects the organization’s criteria of honouring someone who leads with compassion, humility and substantial community impact. 

The evening was styled black-tie optional, with dinner, live entertainment provided by the Full Strength Band, and fellowship among friends, volunteers and benefactors of the organization. Proceeds from the gala will go to benefit both the honored individual’s selected charities as well as direct assistance by the Nice Guys for San Diegans in need of “a hand-up, not a hand-out.”

Since their founding in 1979, the Nice Guys of San Diego have operated as a volunteer-driven 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to helping local families and individuals who, through no fault of their own, are facing hard times. 

Their motto: “Offering a hand-up, not a hand-out.” 

Here are some of the key ways they carry out their mission:

• They review requests for assistance from people in need — for example, someone with a large medical bill, a young person needing a wheelchair after an injury, a single parent whose car broke down and needs transportation to keep working. 

• They focus on helping individuals and families get back on their feet and self-sufficient rather than just providing temporary relief. 

• Importantly, the organization maintains a lean structure: there is no paid staff, minimal overhead, and the efforts are driven by over 175 volunteers who donate their time, expertise and labor. 

• Fundraising is accomplished through an annual spring auction event and the fall gala among others. The gala honours a community leader (like Bartolotta) and also serves as a major fundraising event. 

• Over their 40+ years, the Nice Guys have distributed more than $20 million in charitable funds to individuals and families in San Diego County.

By honoring someone like Bartolotta and celebrating the gala event, the Nice Guys not only raise funds but also shine a spotlight on community leadership, civic service and the idea of localized, meaningful philanthropy. The event reinforces the message that helping a neighbor succeed is as important as broad charitable giving.

The gala also helps sustain the pipeline of volunteer support and donor engagement that enables the Nice Guys to continue responding to urgent, often unpublicized needs in the San Diego region.

With the 45th gala now behind them, the Nice Guys of San Diego will continue accepting assistance requests, planning their spring auction, and supporting the network of volunteers and donors who make the work possible. The funds raised on October 18 will help ensure the organization can respond swiftly when families face sudden hardship.

Photograry by Bryan Dahl