The Hollister Nob Hill store on Airline Highway is part of a
company-wide partnership with California State Parks to raise funds
for Northern California parks, which have been squeezed by the
state’s budget problems.
The Hollister Nob Hill store on Airline Highway is part of a company-wide partnership with California State Parks to raise funds for Northern California parks, which have been squeezed by the state’s budget problems.
Under the “NickelAid” program announced last week, Raley’s will donate 5 cents, up to $75,000 for the 2011-12 fiscal year, every time a shopper uses a reusable grocery bag when shopping at its California Raley’s, Bel Air, Nob Hill Foods or Food Source stores.
Raley’s said the program includes any reusable bag: paper, plastic or canvas.
The donations will go into a special California State Parks fund, with a goal of assisting 38 Northern California state parks in jeopardy of closing.
Due to funding cutbacks, California State Parks has said it will have to close 70 of California’s 278 state parks, beaches and historic areas by July 2012. The state budget signed this week by Gov. Jerry Brown has not altered those plans, state officials said.
Raley’s also said it will absorb all administrative fees in the effort “to build sustainability of the park units on the (parks) closure list.”
The effort kicked off Friday at Governor’s Mansion State Park, 1526 H St. in Sacramento — one of the parks on the closure list.
“Northern California and Nevada have been Raley’s home for more than 75 years, so we know how important our state parks are to our customers and to our employees,” said Mike Teel, president and CEO.
“Our company has a long history of giving, so when we learned that nearly one quarter of California’s state parks are slated for closure, we immediately explored a way for Raley’s to help.”
Organizers of the effort hope it will inspire similar campaigns.
“It is our hope that other businesses and individuals follow Raley’s lead and join this effort to help save our state parks,” said Ruth Coleman, director of California State Parks.
Raley’s said it is conducting a similar program in Nevada, with a goal of raising up to $25,000 for its state parks this year.
For more information, go to www.raleys.com/nickelaid.
