SAN DIEGO -- Generally speaking, November represents the start of the offseason in the baseball world. For the Padres' charitable efforts, it's anything but an offseason.
The organization uses the month of November -- and Thanksgiving week in particular -- to kick things up a notch in the community. Padres Pedal the Cause -- a one-day cycling event to raise money for cancer research -- is the crown jewel event of the team's efforts. It took place last weekend, featuring 2,513 participants, and is expected to raise close to $3 million.
Then, on Monday, members of the team's front office and alumni group distributed Thanksgiving meals to underserved families in the San Diego area, in partnership with the San Diego Food Bank. Padres Hall of Famer Randy Jones and fellow former pitcher Brett Tomko doled out more than 600 turkeys to those families.
"It's such a great time of the year, and it makes all the difference in the world to these families," Jones said during a brief break from the turkey distribution. "You know it makes a difference to be able to give them the supplies to create a meal for the family and get together, it's pretty special."

That spirit of giving is slated to continue into December, when the Padres will again embark on their annual holiday caravan. They'll make various stops throughout the community over the next few weeks, giving back with various events in San Diego and the Baja region of Mexico.
"It's so important all the charitable work the Padres do," Jones said. "And the more it's needed, the more the Padres respond to the community. You can't help everybody, but those you do, it makes a difference in their lives, and that's what it's all about."
As for Padres Pedal the Cause, it's grown into one of San Diego's premier events over the past few years. This year's edition marked the sixth in the event's history, and the most successful.
The Padres have raised $2.4 million, with a goal of surpassing $3 million by Dec. 8. That's a significant uptick from last year's $1.8 million, and it brings the six-year total to $7.2 million and counting.
Proceeds are distributed among the Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, the Salk Institute and Rady Children's Hospital -- four local institutions with impeccable research track records.
San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer and former Padre Tony Gwynn Jr. were among the participants in the event, which featured cycling routes of 25, 55, 88 and 100 miles.
"How do you not walk away from that event inspired?" Padres vice president of community affairs Tom Seidler said. "You hear from cancer survivors, families who have lost loved ones, then you combine that with the world-class cancer research being done right here. You try to create an event that's best in class, we couldn't be more proud to have our name attached to it. This thing is going to grow."
It already has -- in a big way. So too have the Padres' community outreach efforts in San Diego. Those efforts are on display now, during the holiday season, more than ever.
"Part of being a Padre," Jones said, "is giving back to the community, giving back to the people of this city."