March, 30, 2011
California State Parks to Receive a Much Needed Boost from "Preserve Our Parks" Sponsored by Stater Bros. Supermarkets and Coca-Cola Refreshments
Public-Private Partnership Aims to Raise $750,000 For Southern California State Parks
LOS ANGELES, California (March 30, 2011) – Facing major cut-backs and closures, the California State Parks system today announced it is partnering again with Stater Bros. Supermarkets and Coca-Cola Refreshments. This public/private partnership unites for the third straight year to raise funds for state parks in Southern California. This year’s program, “Preserve Our Parks” (http://www.preserveourparks.info), is an intensive, six-week campaign with the goal of raising at least $750,000 to help provide forest preservation, trail maintenance, habitat preservation and beach clean-up across 750,000 acres of parklands that comprise the state park system in Southern California, alone. The campaign encourages consumers to support Southern California State Parks while shopping at Stater Bros. Supermarkets. Shoppers can make a one-dollar, tax-deductible donation to the Preserve Our Parks campaign at Stater Bros. checkout stands through April 26, 2011 or they may donate online at http://www.preserveourparks.info. Additionally, through May 10, 2011, Coca-Cola Refreshments will donate one dollar when consumers purchase ten dollars’ worth of participating Coca-Cola products at Stater Bros., including branded soft drinks, vitaminwater®, vitaminwater zero™, smartwater®, POWERADE ION4™, POWERADE ZERO™, FUZE®, DASANI® Gold Peak products, Minute Maid® products, Simply® juices and Honest Tea® products. 2011 represents the third year that Coca-Cola and Stater Bros. have initiated an environmental stewardship program to benefit California State Parks. The 2010 “Care for Our Coast” and 2009 “Reforest California” campaigns, combined, raised $1.2 million to plant one million trees in Southern California parks damaged by wildfires and to support beach beach clean-up and dune restoration at Southern California’s most popular state beaches.
“Protecting and preserving our California State Park system is important to the Stater Bros. Supermarket family,” says Jack H. Brown, Stater Bros. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We are proud to be a part of this program for the third straight year, as this is one way that we can give back to the local communities we are privileged to serve. The Preserve Our Parks program will have a significant and long-lasting impact on our Southern California State Parks that will be enjoyed by local residents and future generations. As we celebrate our 75th anniversary, we are encouraging Southern California residents to support our goal of raising $750,000.”
“We couldn’t be more pleased with our partners at Stater Bros. and Coca-Cola for initiating programs that enhance the visitor experience at our busiest state parks,” says Ruth Coleman, director of California State Parks. “The preservation programs wouldn’t happen otherwise and supporting public/private partnerships such as Preserve Our Parks is critical to Californians especially during a time of challenging budget cuts.”
All monies raised during the campaign will be donated to California State Park Foundation. Educational facts, Preserve Our Parks program details and the ability to share the campaign via social media platforms are available on the Preserve Our Parks website and the Facebook cause page (http://www.facebook.com/PreserveOurParks). Preserve Our Parks directly benefits iconic Southern California State Parks, and that partial list includes: Malibu Creek State Park and Topanga State Park in Los Angeles County; Huntington Beach, San Clemente and Crystal Cove State Parks in Orange County; Anza-Borrego, Cuyamaca Rancho and Carlsbad State Parks in San Diego County; Silverwood Lake and Chino Hills in San Bernardino County; and Lake Perris and Mount San Jacinto in Riverside County.
About Coca-Cola Refreshments
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. The Company’s portfolio includes 14 billion dollar brands, including Coca-Cola, recognized as the world’s most valuable brand, as well as Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply and Georgia. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company’s beverages at a rate of 1.7 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that protect the environment, conserve resources and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. More info can be found at www.thecoca-colacompany.com
About Stater Bros. Supermarkets
Stater Bros. was founded in 1936 in Yucaipa, California, and has grown steadily through the years to become the largest privately owned Supermarket Chain in Southern California and the largest private employer in both San Bernardino County and Riverside County, with annual sales in 2010 of $3.6 billion. The Company currently operates 167 Supermarkets, and there are over 18,000 members of the Stater Bros. Supermarket Family. Stater Bros. was recently honored as a 2010 WRAP (Waste Reduction Awards Program) Winner by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) for its environmentally friendly programs and recycling efforts. Throughout the year 2011, Stater Bros. will be celebrating 75 years of proudly serving Southern California Families.
About California State Parks
California State Parks is composed of 278 units on nearly 1.5 million acres of land. State Parks is responsible for nearly one-third of the coastline of California, with more than 3,000 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails. The State Park System contains 98 percent of the state’s wilderness and 60 percent of its old growth coastal redwoods. Within the system, there are 50 State Historic Parks that encompass some of the state’s most valuable historic and cultural resources. State Parks receives more than 75 million visitors yearly, making it the single largest visitor destination in the state and second only to the National Park system for the nation.
About CSPF
With over 120,000 members, the California State Parks Foundation (CSPF) is the only statewide independent nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting, enhancing and advocating for California's magnificent state
parks. Since 1969, CSPF has raised more than $170 million to benefit state parks. CSPF is committed to improving the quality of life for all Californians by expanding access to the natural beauty, rich culture and history, and recreational and educational opportunities offered by California's 278 state parks—the largest state park system in the United States. For more information about California's state parks, visit www.calparks.org.
About Good Solutions Group
Good Solutions Group (GSG), formerly Government Solutions Group, is a unique marketing company that facilitates public-private partnerships for government agencies to help them reduce costs, increase revenue, and improve consumer relations through private partnerships. GSG works with all 50 state park systems across the nation by creating and managing win-win partnerships with corporations that benefit the park systems, and was a founding member of the America’s State Park Alliance in conjunction with the National Association of State Park Directors. GSG is proud to work with Stater Bros. Supermarkets, Coca-Cola Refreshments, and the California State Parks on the ‘Preserve Our Parks’ campaign. The company is based in Pasadena, California.
